Government failings allowed Covid 'to spread like wildfire' in care homes, inquiry finds
A UK government inquiry has concluded that failures in care home policies during the pandemic allowed Covid-19 to spread rapidly. The report criticizes the lack of PPE, inadequate planning, and the discharge of hospital patients into care settings.
Why it matters
The findings highlight significant government accountability issues regarding the protection of vulnerable populations during public health crises.
Image source, Getty Images By Nick Triggle , Health correspondent and Joe McFadden , Health reporter Published 12 minutes ago Government failures in care settings created an environment that allowed Covid to spread like wildfire, an official inquiry has said.
The sixth report from the Covid inquiry said the care sector appeared to be "something of an afterthought" in the early stages of the pandemic and there was no "protective ring" put around homes as claimed by ministers at the time.
There were more than 43,000 recorded deaths involving Covid in care homes between March 2020 and July 2022.
The 287-page report also highlighted shortages of PPE for carers and criticised the way hospital patients were discharged into care homes.
It said limits on visits caused enormous harm to residents and their loved ones, though it blamed this on care homes themselves.
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