'Lessons need learnt' after report into care homes during Covid published

Lessons must be learned following a report that found government failures in care settings contributed to the spread of COVID-19, according to a woman whose mother died during the pandemic. The sixth report from the Covid inquiry, published Tuesday, stated that the care sector appeared to be "something of an afterthought" in the pandemic's early stages and that no "protective ring" was put around homes as ministers had claimed.

Between March 2020 and July 2022, more than 43,000 deaths involving COVID-19 were recorded in care homes. Martina Ferguson, whose mother Ursula Derry died from the virus, said the report has "reopened wounds for many families here in Northern Ireland."

"Many families in our bereaved group were prevented from being with loved ones when they were at their most vulnerable, you know, they stood outside windows trying to communicate through a glass," Ferguson stated. "I did that for nine months when my mummy was in her care home."

Approximately 1.5 million adults were living in care homes or receiving home support when COVID-19 emerged. The inquiry concluded that actions to protect this population came too late, leading to devastating consequences.

Ferguson, speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster program, shared that years later, families still carry "deep feelings of guilt" and wonder if their loved ones felt "abandoned, frightened, or alone." She has initiated "Ursula's Law," a proposed legislative campaign in Northern Ireland named in her mother's memory, aiming to establish a statutory right for patients to designate a care partner in all health and social care settings.

Ferguson referenced a 2016 review by Prof. Raphael Bengoa, intended to transform healthcare in Northern Ireland, noting that guidance during the pandemic failed bereaved families. She warned that if another health crisis or pandemic occurs, healthcare settings could face "utter chaos" due to broken trust and non-compliance. She urged Stormont to enshrine the right for patients to designate an essential family carer into law if they are serious about improving the healthcare system.

The 287-page report also highlighted shortages of personal protective equipment for carers and criticized the practice of discharging hospital patients into care homes. It further noted that restrictions on visits caused significant harm to residents and their families, although the report attributed this to the care homes themselves.

Pauline Shepherd, chief executive of Independent Health & Care Providers, described the government's response to COVID-19 in care homes as "much too little, too late." She added, "It was a horrific time for people living in the care homes, their families and the staff that were caring for them."