Amnesty: Care home virus victims ‘had rights violated’

THE Government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic violated the fundamental human rights of vulnerable older people in care, a damning report by Amnesty International has concluded.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said ‘a protective ring’ was thrown around the care sector when the outbreak began. But an investigation by the human rights organisation found the decision to protect the NHS led to the ‘inexplicable’ move to deny hospital treatment to older people in care who developed

Covid-19. Amnesty’s report said residents died in distress without appropriate medical care, despite local hospitals having ‘hundreds’ of empty beds.

In one shocking episode, a care home manager who sought a hospital bed for a seriously ill resident in March was told: ‘He’s at the end of his life anyway, so we’re not going to send an ambulance.’ More than 28,000 excess deaths were recorded in care homes from March 2 to June 12, with 18,562, or 40 per cent, attributed to Covid-19 – though a lack of testing means the number may be higher.

Continued restrictions, resulting in a ban on or limiting of visits from loved ones, has caused further distress and also broke international law, says Amnesty, which is calling for an independent public inquiry.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: ‘There are serious questions to be answered about whether at the top levels of government, a decision was made to see tens of thousands of people’s loved ones as entirely expendable.’