October 24th 2025
Patients feel they are not involved in decisions about their medicines, and lack information and choice about the medicines they were taking.
Speaking to the CQC to inform its 2024-25 report The state of health care and adult social care in England, patients mentioned not understanding how to take their medicine or side effects (29%). For three-quarters of people (74%) side effects were a reason to not adhere to their medicine regimen. More than one in three (35%) survey respondents said they had no information on the effects of stopping their medicine.
People also said they were given little choice about the medicine they were prescribed. They also valued regular medication reviews and holistic care that includes other aspects, such as sleeping, diet, and physical health, and other health conditions.
In rural areas, homecare capacity and capability, and mental health provision were also criticised. Across the country, access to GP services was felt to be problematic, particularly for older people who need reasonable adjustments to make appointments online or by telephone.
