June 6 pledge for care home testing was ‘too little, too late’

MINISTERS have admitted it will take almost a month for all care home staff and residents to be tested for Covid-19, as Age UK accuses the Government of delivering “too little, too late”.

For months, their plans for handling social care and the vulnerable elderly have been the subject of criticism, with allegations of possibly infected patients being discharged from hospitals into care homes.

However, following the latest government guidance, which aims to have all care home residents and staff tested by June 6, Age UK has criticised the plans as “too little, too late”.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, added: “There have been ongoing problems for care homes in getting access to enough tests – and also it seems in receiving the results back in good time – and these are reported to be continuing even now.

“When it comes to supporting care homes and their staff and residents to come through this pandemic as unscathed as possible, it has often seemed a matter of ‘too little, too late’.”

A Department of Health spokesman said: “We have set out a comprehensive plan to support the adult social care sector in England, including ramping up testing capacity and making it easier for all to get a test.”