Covid-19 inquiry care homes findings: virus spread 'like wildfire' amid government failures
The UK Covid-19 inquiry has found that government failures let Covid-19 spread 'like wildfire' in care homes, with chair Heather Hallett saying the adult social care sector was treated as an afterthought. Her report, published Tuesday, is the sixth of 10 inquiry reports.
Covid-19 inquiry care homes findings: virus spread 'like wildfire' amid government failures
A sector treated as an afterthought
The Covid-19 inquiry care homes report found that government failures caused the virus to spread 'like wildfire' among vulnerable and elderly residents, describing the care sector as an afterthought. Chair Heather Hallett said care homes received insufficient protection when they most needed it, creating environments where the virus could spread rapidly.
The adult social care sector as a whole appeared to be something of an afterthought.
Hallett added that the mantra of 'protecting the NHS' sometimes came at the expense of those using and providing care. She also described the lack of PPE for care home staff as wholly unacceptable, with staff resorting to festival waterproof ponchos, painters' overalls and gloves bought from DIY shops.
Hospital discharges and the 'protective ring'
The inquiry's findings on hospital discharges into care homes sit at the centre of the report:
- In March and April 2020, about 25,000 hospital patients were discharged into care homes across England before mandatory testing began on 15 April 2020; the policy was later ruled unlawful by the high court
- Hallett called it a significant omission that the government did not advise isolating patients discharged into care homes, though she accepted the policy was necessary to free hospital beds
- Former health secretary Matt Hancock took responsibility for the discharge of untested patients
Hancock told the inquiry the policy was the 'least worst decision to a terrible problem'. Hallett rejected his long-held claim that he threw a 'protective ring' around care homes, saying it was unfounded.
The human cost
More than 43,000 people died from Covid-19 in UK care homes between March 2020 and July 2022. Hallett said the scale of death witnessed by social care staff was unlike anything they had seen before, leading to post-traumatic stress, suicidal thoughts and a number of care worker suicides.
She said preventing visits to care homes led to immense emotional harm for residents, leaving them with profound isolation and a sense of abandonment.
Most distressingly, some people were not permitted to be with their dying loved ones. Many remain racked by a guilt that they do not deserve.
What happens next
The report, which focuses on adult social care and residential homes, sets out eight key recommendations, including better pandemic planning, financial support to help social care staff self-isolate, guidance on visiting restrictions and better inspection during lockdowns. The inquiry, the most expensive in UK history at more than £200m, has so far made 55 recommendations.
Hallett said the action taken to protect workers and users of adult social care came too late, and urged that her recommendations be acted on before the next pandemic.
