UK Covid Inquiry Finds Care Homes Were Sacrificed to Protect NHS

Vulnerable care home residents were treated as an 'afterthought' and sacrificed to 'protect the NHS', the UK Covid-19 inquiry has found. More than 43,000 residents died after hospitals discharged infected patients into care homes without adequate protections, allowing the virus to spread rapidly.

Inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett stated that claims by the then health secretary Matt Hancock that ministers had thrown a 'protective ring' around care homes 'right from the start' were unfounded. The report detailed how care homes were unable to properly isolate new arrivals, lacked sufficient testing capacity, and that care workers were forced to use inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Action to protect carers and residents came too late, with devastating consequences. Between March 17 and April 15, 2020, approximately 25,000 patients were discharged from hospitals into care homes to free up hospital beds. As the virus spread, care home residents experienced isolation and were unable to see loved ones, sometimes for months, leading to profound grief.

Baroness Hallett noted that visiting restrictions caused enormous harm, particularly to individuals with dementia. While acknowledging the partial relaxation of these restrictions, she stated that their benefits should have been recognized sooner, leaving many relatives with guilt.

The inquiry found that the government was aware of the extreme vulnerability of care home residents to respiratory viruses prior to the pandemic, yet they received insufficient protection when it was most needed. Failures were linked to inadequate pre-pandemic planning, including the incomplete implementation of recommendations from Exercise Cygnus, a 2016 pandemic preparedness initiative.

The report also addressed concerns about 'Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation' decisions, finding some were made inappropriately. The failure to provide adequate PPE to staff was deemed wholly unacceptable, highlighting a long-standing undervaluation of the social care sector.

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry, established in June 2022 and with a projected cost exceeding £200 million, is expected to release its final report in the summer of 2027. The current report on the care sector is the sixth of ten modules and includes eight key recommendations.

These recommendations emphasize better planning for resident isolation, financial support for staff to self-isolate, new guidelines for visiting restrictions, and mandatory end-of-life training for health and social care workers. Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, stressed the importance of implementing these recommendations, stating that hospital pressure should never again be relieved by transferring unmanaged risk into adult social care.

Health Secretary Yvette Cooper acknowledged the report and extended condolences to those who lost loved ones during the pandemic, particularly those affected by care home visiting restrictions. She also paid tribute to the dedication of care workers and family members.