4,000 FEARED DEAD IN UK CARE HOMES

Shocking virus death toll hugely under-reported, warn experts

A ‘HIDDEN epidemic’ of coronavirus in care homes may have already claimed thousands of lives, it was warned last night. experts believe that deaths are being hugely underreported because of a lack of testing. GPs are also sometimes reluctant to write covid-19 on death certificates, and care home figures are not included in the daily toll.

Yesterday, the Office for national statistics (Ons) said its most recent figures showed 217 people had died in care homes across england and Wales from coronavirus up to 3 April.

it has also been revealed that 46 OAPs have died in care homes in scotland with suspected covid-19 but industry leaders believe the figure is much higher and could be

up to 300. Last night, industry figures said the true UK total was now far in excess of that, with the virus in as many as two-thirds of all care homes.

They said the death toll was already likely to be in the thousands – with one estimating it at as high as 4,000 across the UK. Campaigners and MPs described the situation as an ‘unfolding horror’ and warned that without urgent action Britain was heading towards tens of thousands of ‘forgotten’ care home victims.

With ministers facing calls to get a grip on the crisis, the Mail is calling for changes – including tests for all staff and residents with symptoms, more PPE and a dedicated cabinet minister for care homes to tackle the catastrophe. It comes as it emerged that: Just a few hundred care home staff have been tested so far;

Care home chiefs in Scotland warned the industry is facing a financial crisis that could see some shut and OAPs sent back to hospitals to be cared for;

Chancellor Rishi Sunak was forced to deny care home victims had been ‘forgotten’;

Two of Britain’s largest care home operators said they had already seen more than 500 deaths in their homes;

The pandemic had pushed the officially registered deaths in a single week to the highest level on record;

Another 778 UK hospital deaths took the total past 12,000, while in Scotland the death toll rose by 40 to 615;

In a sobering report, the Office for Budget Responsibility predicted a threemonth lockdown would result in Britain’s GDP contracting by 35 per cent – with two million more unemployed;

It was revealed there were 20 suspected arson attacks against 5G phone masts over the Easter period;

Experts warned many children could miss out on their MMR jab due to a reluctance to go to GP surgeries;

Pharmaceutical giants GSK and Sanofi teamed up to trial a vaccine to roll out by the middle of next year.

Ministers are coming under pressure to include care home deaths in daily figures as the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector, warned the spread in the sector ‘has largely gone under the radar’.

Nicola Sturgeon has said she will be publishing the Scottish figures from today. She yesterday revealed that there had been a slight drop in those in intensive care, with 196 people in ICU, and 1,798 patients in hospital with confirmed or suspected coronavirus.

The number of positive cases of the virus rose by 291, with 6,358 confirmed cases in Scotland. Meanwhile, Mike Padgham, of the Independent Care Group, which represents care homes and home care providers, estimated the virus had claimed the lives of at least 4,000 care home residents.

He calculated it as around a third of the total figure from hospital deaths and based his estimates on care home deaths from other countries, which he said would be ‘no different’ to the UK.

The Alzheimer’s Society estimates there have been at least 2,500 deaths from care homes. But the data it based the figure on is 11 days out of date, so the true toll is likely to be much higher.

Sal Copley, the charity’s director of policy, campaigns and partnerships said: ‘Our fear is potentially thousands of UK deaths are being missed from figures.’

The Mail has also compiled a figure of at least 951 care home deaths, from officially confirmed fatalities by care home operators and local authorities or local media reports, since the start of the outbreak.

Peter Kyle MP, who has been campaigning for more to be done to tackle the crisis in care homes, welcomed the Mail’s campaign. He said: ‘We are heading full speed towards the deaths of tens of thousands of people in care and we have been since day one. That day will only be avoided if we change course.’

Liz Kendall, shadow minister for social care, also backed the Mail’s campaign. She said: ‘Social care has to be an absolute priority. We need PPE and testing and we need to make sure we have all the resources to keep people safe.’

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