Recipe for disaster

How crisis in care homes unfolded

March 19

With the virus surging, NHS patients not required to be in hospital are sent home – including residents of care homes.

April 2

Government guidance states that, subject to isolation and use of PPE, “negative [coronavirus] tests are not required prior to transfers/ admissions into the care home”.

April 15

NHS trusts told to test every care home patient returning from hospital. Ministers are told that care homes cannot safely accept hospital patients without risking the lives of their residents.

April 30

Care home deaths could be four times worse than official figures suggest, analysis by The Daily Telegraph suggests. The true figure could be more than 17,000.

May 15

“Right from the start we’ve tried to throw a protective ring around our care homes,” Matt Hancock, then health secretary, tells the nation.

July 7

The Daily Telegraph discloses that dozens of care homes were inspected during lockdown over reports of “poor care”. It was feared staff and residents had been left dangerously exposed to Covid.

Nov 16

Manchester University researchers find that, from April to August, care homes suffered 30,000 excess deaths. Almost all excess deaths were in care homes that suffered outbreaks.