Grieving families cut off by care watchdogs

Bereaved families are being forced to seek private legal counsel to investigate whether care home residents were adequately protected from coronavirus because official complaints procedures have been suspended.

More than 350 people have joined a Facebook group for those who have lost relatives to Covid-19. They are calling for a public inquiry into the Government’s response to the pandemic, including whether care home residents were put at undue risk.

One of the campaign’s members, Deborah Doyle, whose 76-year-old mother died of suspected coronavirus in her care home, said residents had been left helpless because of a lack of testing. “I want answers and I want the people responsible to be held accountable,” said Mrs Doyle, from Sunderland. “If residents had been tested, those with coronavirus could have been isolated and fewer families would be grieving right now.”

The group is being advised by Elkan Abrahamson, a lawyer who represented families during inquests into the Hillsborough disaster and the Manchester Arena bombing. “A huge problem is that almost no evidence has been collected on what has been happening inside care homes during the crisis,” said Mr Abrahamson, of law firm Broudie Jackson Canter.

All usual avenues for families to voice concerns for their relatives’ safety have been cut off. The Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman is no longer taking on new cases, and the Care Quality Commission, the social care regulator, has stopped all routine inspections.

The LGSCO said it was preparing for a rise in complaints. A spokesman said: “We can guarantee that nobody will be denied access to justice as we restart our casework. But the law requires people to take their complaints to councils and care providers first, and we’ve made clear we expect them to deal with the most serious complaints.”

Kate Terroni of the CQC said that, although routine inspections had

Families resort to lawyers to investigate claims that residents were left unprotected from Covid, writes Marianna Hunt

Robert Ford and his wife, Christina stopped, it was continuing to inspect in response to whistle-blowers’ concerns and where there was evidence of risk of potential harm, such as deliberate abuse or neglect.

“Every concern raised with us is used by our inspectors to inform their work and we are grateful for the time people take to do this,” she added. She urged people to continue to share their experiences.

However, some families have not been reassured by these messages and are now fighting to have relatives removed from care homes.

Robert Ford, 80, from Plymouth, has taken on a solicitor to help him bring his wife, Christina, home after he was blocked from doing so by social services. “They say she needs full-time care, but she doesn’t. All the carers do is give her medicine,” Mr Ford said. “She cries on the phone to me, asking when I’m coming to pick her up.” He said he might end up going to court to fight his case, but was worried his wife would die from Covid-19 before then.

Judy Downey of the Relatives & Residents Association, a care charity, said it had been contacted by families who had been blocked from taking relatives out of homes. “Care operators will often argue strongly against a resident’s removal,” she said. “But you should think very carefully before deciding to take a relative home. It may seem safer at the moment but in many cases it is not the best idea.”

‘She cries on the phone, asking when I’m coming to pick her up’