Military role vital in Covid-19 battle
GENERAL Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff, yesterday described the support the military has been giving to the NHS as the “single greatest logistic challenge that I have come across”.
As soldiers were undergoing training in Taunton in preparation to take up duties assisting the ambulance service in the Westcountry in the weeks ahead, Britain’s military leader paid tribute to the role of the
Armed Forces in the coronavirus crisis.
He told the Downing Street press conference: “We’ve also been giving support to the Department for Health and Social Care, and of course the NHS.
“First and foremost this has been a logistic task and I would say that I think in all of my 40 years of service this is the single greatest logistic challenge that I have come across.”
He said that in 25 days, the NHS had gone from the 240 customers that they deliver to normally, to nearly 50,000 customers, which involved creating 260,000 sq ft of distribution warehousing.
Gen Carter also said: “Our role has been entirely in support of the heroic healthcare workers on the frontline – that’s both the NHS and social care – with humility very much being our watchword in the way that we give that support.”
Reports yesterday underlined the growing impact of Covid-19 on care home residents, with increasing numbers of deaths reported in care homes in the South West.
Several deaths have been reported following a major coronavirus outbreak at a care home in Torbay, with both residents and staff affected.
MULTIPLE deaths have been reported following a major coronavirus outbreak at a care home in Torbay.
Both residents and staff have been affected at Primley Court Care Home in Paignton.
The news comes as statistics show that one in seven Covid-19 deaths in Devon has been in a care home. Across Devon – including the local authority areas of Torbay and Plymouth – 80 deaths had been registered where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate in the first 10 days of April.
The exact number of deaths at Primley Court Care Home in Paignton has not been revealed, although Optima Care, which runs the home, confirmed ‘several’ residents had died.
Various groups – including Public Health England South West and Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust – are working with the home to contain the outbreak. The home is currently closed to visitors.
“Public Health England South West, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Torbay Council and NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group are working together to support staff and residents of Primley Court Care Home in Paignton following an outbreak of Covid19 which is affecting residents and staff,” said a Torbay Council spokesperson. “Sadly some residents have died.
“Staff are closely monitoring residents and ensuring anyone with symptoms is being referred for clinical assessment and testing. We are in daily contact with the home to help them with any other issues they may be experiencing such as staff shortages, unplanned expenditure or help sourcing personal protective equipment.
“Relatives of all the residents are being kept informed.”
Covid-19 has hit care homes hard, with fatalities in England and Wales more than quadrupling in a week, rising to 1,043 according to official statistics.
However, there are concerns the actual figure may be even higher due to a lag in collecting figures and not everybody being tested for coronavirus. Official figures rely on death certificates, which can take 11 days to process and may not always include Covid-19 as a cause of death.
A spokesperson for Optima Care, who run Primley Court Nursing Home, said: “We regret to report that several of our residents have now died within this home, attributed to this disease. We offer our most sincere condolences and sympathy to our residents’ loved ones, families and friends at this very difficult time.
“Our staff knew these individuals intimately, caring and sharing in their daily lives. Our staff have formed part of our residents’ family for many years, making the loss one we all feel deeply sad about.
“We are being helped to manage the spread of the virus with extra staffing, direction and advice, to ensure we are able to safely care for our residents. We thank Torbay Council and Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust Teams for their unreserved input, resource and help with PPE supplies and guidance.
“Optima Care are incredibly proud of its care team who are working tirelessly to support the service in difficult circumstances, and we would like to thank all of those people showing support to ourselves and the amazing social care industry.”
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and Torbay Council are calling all care homes in Torbay as well as providers a number of times each week to ensure they have everything they need to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including sufficient personal protective equilment.
Discussing the outbreak at Primley Court Care Home, Mike Wade, deputy director for health protection at Public Health England South West, said: “PHE South West is working closely with the care home to provide public health advice to stop the virus spreading. This includes advice on infection prevention control and what to do if they need additional support.”
In a joint statement, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and Torbay Council said: “We are supporting the owners and staff of Primley Court to ensure they are able to safely care for their residents, keep families informed and protect their staff at this difficult time.”
Across the South West the total number of deaths in care homes hit a record high since records began for the week beginning April 10.
Of the 80 deaths across Devon before April 10 most (64) took place in hospital, but one in seven (another 11 deaths) were in care homes the figures show. There were also five further Covid-19 deaths at home sacross Devon.
‘We regret to report several of our residents have died within this nursing home’ PRIMLEY COURT, PAIGNTON
One more person has died in hospital in Cornwall after testing positive for Covid-19 in the 24 hours up to lunchtime yesterday. It takes the number of coronavirus deaths in Cornwall to 63, up from 62 yesterday.
The new death was confirmed at the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, with no new deaths registered at Royal Cornwall Hospital.
There have been a further four confirmed coronavirus deaths in Devon hospitals, according to the latest figures. A further two deaths were recorded by University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.
Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust recorded one more death within that period, as did Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust. So far, 116 people have died of Covid-19 in Devon hospitals.