Trust apologises for sending out bill days after couple die from Covid-19
is deadly — particularly to older people with pre-existing health conditions, and social distancing is necessary to save lives, if not our own then the lives of those more susceptible to the virus.
Now we are moving beyond the first surge and attentions are turning to lifting the lockdown in a way that will suppress the virus and prevent a second peak.
However, as a semblance of normal life resumes and more people are coming into contact with one another, it is absolutely crucial that complacency doesn’t set in.
Now is perhaps one of the most dangerous moments in the pandemic to date as a second peak, particularly during the winter months, would be catastrophic.
But the battle has been dealt a huge blow with the revelation that Robin Swann chose not to make public the best-case scenario death toll of 250.
It has also transpired that he did not reveal that experts had said the predicted loss of 15,000 lives was not realistic. The timing could not have been worse.
In response, the Department of Health has said publishing the best and worst cases — both deemed unrealistic — would have sent out mixed messages at a crucial time.
And can Mr Swann really be criticised for his decision, particularly if it saved lives?
The real issue here is the danger this revelation poses to the future pandemic response as the minister, who until this point has been lauded for his honesty, is now faced with the possibility that the public may not believe him in the months ahead.
THE Belfast Trust has apologised for the “insensitive timing” of a care home bill for over £75,000 sent to a family just days after both parents died from Covid-19.
Harry and May Rodgers (right), aged 86 and 83, from Belfast, were married for 64 years before they died 24 hours apart at a nursing home in April.
Ten days later, the Belfast Trust sent two letters offering both their condolences and requesting payment.
Their daughter Janice Hills and son-in-law Billy Hills were still in shock after having to say their goodbyes at Parkview nursing home while wearing full PPE. The facility was badly hit by the pandemic, with another eight residents losing their lives.
Speaking to UTV, Mrs Hills said: “It was just horrific, they were skin and bone. They just went down to nothing.”
Shaken by the letters from the Belfast Trust, she added: “That’s a person you’re talking about, you’ve just sent me an invoice for a person that has just lost their life to this horrible virus. And to me, it just felt as if all they were worth was money.”
She said she would support an inquiry to establish why over half of care home residents in Northern Ireland died in care homes.
“I think down the road possibly something else will happen... and by the time they come to do the inquiry (they will ask) who were May and Harry? I think it needs to be done before people forget.”
As life slowly returns to normality, her husband urged the public not to forget those who have lost loved ones. A spokesperson for Belfast Trust said it would “like to offer our sincere condolences to the Rodgers family at this deeply sad time. We are extremely sorry for the insensitive timing of this letter. The Trust will contact the family to discuss the matters you have raised”.
The statement added: “As a result of this case, we are reviewing our practice for any potential learning and to ensure invoices are issued within a sensitive timeframe.”