Pandemic has raised profile of care homes

ONCE again our newspapers and other media outlets are full of ‘outrage’ because of comments made by our hard working and fully committed Prime Minister which, if one reads their full text, were completely factual.

Care homes are businesses which are run for profit. They work in conjunction with the NHS but are not a part thereof. They operate under rules which are set by Local Authorities and are checked by those authorities for conformance. Care homes can also seek guidance from these agencies.

As with any business, there are some which are well run and some which are less so, some which cut corners and some which do not. Ultimately, bad businesses ‘go to the wall’ but not before employees and users have suffered which, in the case of the care sector, always has distressing consequences.

Our home is positioned adjacent to a care home which is run very professionally, the owner of which took action immediately the pandemic risk was recognised. That home, thank God, has experienced no problems.

Clearly this pandemic has raised the profile of these essential businesses and heightened the need for even closer co-operation with the NHS, Social Services and Local Authorities.

Hopefully, the Prime Minister’s well-timed statement will reinforce this need and lead to a general raising of standards in this sector of the care industry.

J Martin Warr Yeovil, Somerset