Government failings allowed Covid 'to spread like wildfire' in care homes, inquiry finds
Summary
An official inquiry found that government failures made it easy for Covid to spread rapidly in care homes during the pandemic. The report said lack of planning, shortages of protective gear, and poor policies contributed to over 43,000 deaths in care settings from 2020 to 2022.Key Facts
- More than 43,000 Covid-related deaths happened in care homes between March 2020 and July 2022.
- The care sector was overlooked early in the pandemic, with no strong protections put in place.
- Shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) forced care workers to use items like bin bags and ponchos as makeshift gear.
- Hospital patients were sent to care homes without clear rules to keep them isolated, spreading the virus.
- Care workers received little financial support, making it hard for sick staff to stay home.
- Visitor restrictions harmed residents’ health and wellbeing, but many care homes kept strict limits even after risks were low.
- Some care homes used unlawful blanket do-not-resuscitate orders.
- Millions of unpaid carers faced increasing challenges due to lack of support.
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