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Government urges care homes to step up testing and PPE efforts, amid rise in COVID-19 cases
Care home providers have been urged to sign up to the government’s repeat testing programme and to maintain consistent use of PPE, amid reports of multiple outbreaks in care homes across the country.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) sent a letter signed by Stuart Miller, director of adult social care delivery, to all care providers on Friday, warning that Public Health England has reported “an increase in notifications of COVID-19 cases in care homes”, and stressing the importance of testing and PPE.
DHSC acknowledged that its repeat testing programme roll-out had been delayed in care homes but that it was now up and running, adding: “We encourage care homes that have not yet registered for repeat testing to do so.”
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Mr Miller’s letter said staff at care homes should be tested every week and the “correct and consistent use of PPE is very important”, as residents could become infected before a virus is detected via testing.
“By sharing this alert, we hope local organisations can now take the necessary action to prevent and limit outbreaks,” it concluded.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that between May and June, there had been at least one case of COVID-19 among residents or staff at 55.6% of care homes.
The Sunday Times reported that outbreaks have been recorded recently in 43 care homes, with Bristol, Nottinghamshire, Wiltshire and Wolverhampton the worst areas affected.
Earlier in the pandemic, sector bodies criticised the government for failing to prioritise testing in care homes for both staff and residents, while Inside Housing previously heard from several care providers who had difficulty sourcing enough PPE for staff.
Mr Miller’s letter said the government would be publishing its Adult Social Care Winter Plan “shortly”, which will set out the support and resources it will make available nationally.
