£8m cash for care homes to help them through crisis
Care providers warn that Government has not delivered past promises
Care homes across North Yorkshire are set to benefit from Government funding to support them through the coronavirus pandemic.
The £600 million Infection Control Fund, announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock in Parliament on Monday, is intended to reduce transmission of the virus in care homes.
However, care providers have warned the Government has made big promises in the past that have not materialised.
North Yorkshire will receive £8,448,423 of the fund to support local facilities cover the costs of implementing measures to reduce transmission, including rolling out training on infection control for staff, reducing transmission by supporting providers to reduce workforce movements, and stepping up NHS clinical support to care homes.
Mike Padgham, Chair of the Independent Care Group and owner of Saint Cecilia’s Care Group which runs four care homes in the Scarborough area, said: “We welcome [the] promises by the Government and its resolve to do everything possible to help care and nursing homes.
“However, we have had big promises made before and they have not materialised on the front line.
“We must wait to see if the Government delivers this time – our patience is running out and providers are struggling.
“What we need most of all is to ensure that we can get the testing done, that we can get access to PPE and that we get some financial support to care and nursing homes who are struggling to survive whilst battling Covid-19.”
The funding forms part of a wider package of support from the Government, including providing a named clinical contact from the NHS for every single care home, helping with liaison with local authorities and sharing of data, and testing for all residents and staff by early June.
A spokesperson for Barchester Healthcare, which runs Scarborough Hall Care Home, said: “We strongly welcome the expansion of testing across the UK. We now have whole home testing rolling out in all of our homes in England with about three-quarters already testing with Government support which includes all residents and staff.”
MP Robert Goodwill said: “Care staff are the heroes of this pandemic – working tirelessly to support those in our community who need it most.
“I do not underestimate how challenging a time this is for people living and working in care. By putting in place stronger prevention, we can ensure that we continue to drive coronavirus out of our care homes, making them safer and better able to look after people who need it the most.”
According to the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday, up to May 8 there were 21 Covid-19-related deaths in care homes in the local authority of Scarborough, 33% of the total deaths.