This month’s Insight report looks at how NHS trusts are planning for people’s care while tackling a backlog of treatment caused by COVID-19.

In May and June 2021, we asked 73 trusts about their approaches to longer waiting lists and how they are considering people’s care in a fair and equal way. We wanted to know about their assessments of the challenges.

This report also updates on data on deaths in care homes, people detained under the Mental Health Act and ONS data on all weekly deaths in England compared with the average for 2015-2019.

CQC’s ‘Safety, Equity and Engagement in Maternity Services’ presents an analysis of the key issues persisting in some maternity services and highlights where action is still needed to support vital improvements.

The report draws on the findings from a sample of nine focused maternity safety inspections carried out between March and June 2021, along with insight gathered from interviews and direct engagement with organisations representing women and their families, including equality campaign group Five X More and local Maternity Voices Partnerships.

CQC report highlights how the right community support can improve outcomes for people with a learning disability, a mental health need and autistic people. The Care Quality Commission’s Home for Good report celebrates examples of successful community support provided to people with complex needs.

Findings from a survey of more than 48,000 people who received urgent and emergency care in 2020 show an increase in the number who said their overall experience was ‘very good’. However, the results also reveal concerns among some about access to emotional support, pain management and the availability of staff when they needed help or attention.