Campaign to scrap self-isolation for care home residents

CARE home residents are forgoing healthcare appointments because of a requirement to self-isolate for 14 days after leaving the home for certain visits, campaigners have warned.

John’s Campaign is calling for the requirement, set out in Government guidance, to be urgently scrapped for all visits out, including external medical appointments and overnight stays. This week, the Government removed the rule for care home residents leaving the home for ‘low risk’ outdoor visits, such as walks or sitting in a garden.

But the supplementary guidance, issued over the weekend, did not cover visits for medical appointments or overnight stays with family members.

It followed a threat of legal action from John’s Campaign, which said it encouraged care homes to act unlawfully by ‘falsely imprisoning’ residents.

The charity is writing to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, calling on him to remove the requirement for all visits out when the guidance is next updated. If not, the group, represented by Leigh Day solicitors, says it will start legal proceedings.

It is expecting an announcement from the Government on May 10, ahead of the next stage of the Government’s road map on May 17.

Co-founder Julia Jones said the 14-day isolation period should be ‘consigned to history’s bin of shame’.

Minister for care Helen Whately said: “Residents can now leave their care home to spend time outdoors, for instance to visit a park or garden, without having to self-isolate upon their return. This is another significant step towards normal life and is being taken in a way that will help protect care homes from the continued risk of Covid.”