ELDERLY patients who had virus symptoms were sent from hospitals back into care homes, it was claimed today.
Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England, told the Health Select Committee this morning that there were “cases of people….who were symptomatic discharged into care homes” and not isolated.
Previously patients didn’t have to have a test to go from a hospital to a care home, but now anyone leaving must have one.
It came as Matt Hancock today insisted that testing the elderly in care homes was a “top priority”.
Answering an urgent question in the House of Commons he said: “From the start we have worked hard to protect those in social care.
“We have repeatedly set out and strengthened guidance for infection control and support.
“I am glad we have been able to protect the majority of homes.
“Testing from the start, we have been testing sympathetic residents of care homes
“This has always been a top priority”.
Professor Martin told MPs this morning: “We had a policy of emptying hospitals and filling care homes, but in some (other) countries when people were symptomatic they were taken out of care homes into isolation facilities.
“I think staff are worried about first of all, bringing Covid-19 into care homes, and then secondly the potential to take Covid-19 back to their families.
“Our focus at the start of this pandemic was clearly the NHS, and there was not a recommendation in either the planning process that happened in 2016, or indeed in this current pandemic at the very start, that the most vulnerable people were in care homes.
“We should have prioritised care homes both in the planning that went on in 2016, but also in the planning that went on at the very start of this.”
He said that testing is improving but some people are still waiting up to ten days for a test.
“We need regular testing, 2-3 times a week, if we are to really get on top of this,” he stressed.
12,000 official deaths have been recorded from care homes so far – both inside and outside hospital.
Nearly four in ten care homes have reported outbreaks, fresh figures revealed yesterday.
Last week ministers gave an extra £600million to social care to make sure that people weren’t travelling between care homes which could spread the disease.
And extra help from councils is also on the cards so homes can get support and PPE they need.
But Downing Street said care homes had not been forced to take recovering Covid-19 patients back if they were not able to provide proper support.
“No care home should be forced to take back recovering Covid patients if they don’t feel that they can provide the appropriate care,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.
“We have been clear on that throughout.
“The NHS are now testing all people leaving hospital in advance of their discharge to care homes.”
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