Labour’s Strategy for Covid Crisis in Care Homes, summary from RWK
Liz Kendall has just published a letter to Matt Hancock that sets out Labour’s strategy for care homes.
https://labour.org.uk/press/labour-set-out-6-key-areas-to-address-covid-19-crisis-in-social-care/
This includes six items:
1. A new intermediate care strategy for people being discharged from hospital who test positive for Covid-19, and to support struggling care homes
2. Improved access to, and priority testing for social care workers
3. Guaranteeing all care workers get the PPE they need: for domiciliary care workers and Personal Assistants employed via Direct Payments, as well as staff in residential care
4. Ensuring social care has “whatever resources it takes” to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic
5. New leadership for social care sector, with a new Chief Care Officer
6. Daily reporting of Covid-19 deaths outside hospital, including in care homes.
In regard to item 1, discharges, she has stated:
“First, I am glad that the new guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care issued on 16 April says everyone who is discharged from hospital prior to admission to a care home should now be tested for Covid-19. However, not all of those who test positive can be effectively isolated in care homes, and many providers are extremely worried about accepting Covid positive patients because of the risk this poses to other residents. We therefore need a new intermediate care strategy to ensure there are appropriate services to help slow the spread of the virus, both in terms of ‘step down’ from hospital and ‘step up’ from care homes who are struggling to cope. Whilst these services are being developed in some parts of the country, they now need much greater priority and focus. Plans should be jointly drawn up locally by councils and the NHS, using any spare NHS capacity – for example in NHS Nightingale hospitals – as well as other local services.”
This is a bit more developed than the previous statements from Labour. Is it workable?
In regard to item 5, a chief care officer, she says:
“Fifth, this pandemic has thrown into sharper focus than ever before the differences in how the NHS and social care are treated. For too long social care has lacked the priority, focus and attention of the NHS, and care workers have been undervalued and underpaid. Longer term reform is, in my view, essential but as an immediate step I urge you to consider establishing a Chief Care Officer, to sit alongside the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Nursing Officer, to help provide the national leadership, focus and attention social care deserves throughout this pandemic and beyond.”
Kind regards,
Mei
Mei-Ling Huang
Partner
Dispute Resolution
Royds Withy King
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