UK Covid Inquiry Finds Care Homes Sacrificed to Protect NHS, Families Accuse Hancock of 'Cruel Lie'

Vulnerable care home residents were treated as an "afterthought" and sacrificed to "protect the NHS" during the COVID-19 pandemic, a UK inquiry has found. Over 43,000 residents died after infected patients were discharged from hospitals into care homes without adequate protections, contributing to the virus spreading rapidly.

Inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett stated that claims by then-health secretary Matt Hancock, asserting that ministers had thrown a "protective ring" around care homes "right from the start," were unfounded. The report detailed that care homes lacked the capacity to properly isolate new arrivals, experienced shortages of tests, and care workers often lacked personal protective equipment (PPE), leading some to wear makeshift coverings like bin bags.

The report highlighted that action to protect care home staff and residents came "too late," resulting in "devastating consequences." Between March 17 and April 15, 2020, approximately 25,000 patients were discharged from hospitals into care homes to free up bed capacity. During this period, visiting restrictions left residents feeling "isolated, abandoned and alone," cut off from loved ones, sometimes for months. This lack of family contact meant many were unable to be with dying friends or relatives in their final moments, leading to profound grief.

The inquiry also examined concerns regarding "Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation" (DNACPR) decisions, finding that some were made inappropriately or without proper consultation, potentially based on age, health condition, or learning disability. The failure to provide adequate PPE to care staff was deemed "wholly unacceptable," and the report emphasized that the vital role of the adult social care sector has been "undervalued and under-recognised" for too long.

Baroness Hallett concluded that the adult social care sector was "something of an afterthought," where the priority of "protecting the NHS" sometimes came at the expense of care users and providers. The report identified failures stemming from a lack of adequate pre-pandemic planning, noting that an initiative like Exercise Cygnus in 2016, which highlighted the need for surge capacity in care homes, had not been sufficiently acted upon.

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry, established in June 2022 and with an estimated cost exceeding £200 million, is expected to publish its final report in the summer of 2027. The report on the care sector, the sixth of ten modules, has put forth eight key recommendations. These include improved planning for the safe isolation of care home residents, financial support for staff to enable isolation when infected, updated guidelines for visiting restrictions, and mandatory end-of-life training for health and social care workers.

Professor Martin Green, chief executive of trade body Care England, stated that hospital pressure must never again be alleviated by transferring unmanaged risk into adult social care, emphasizing that the inquiry's recommendations are essential but their implementation will be the true test. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper acknowledged the report, offering condolences to those who lost loved ones and experienced distress due to visiting restrictions. She also paid tribute to the efforts of care workers and family members who protected the vulnerable under difficult circumstances.