Oral Answers to Questions

Emma Hardy Excerpts

Tuesday 23rd February 2021 Commons Chamber

[Jo Churchill]

I thank my hon. Friend for her question. I am delighted to join her in congratulating Emma, who I know is using her experience of having had covid to launch such an innovative fundraising idea. I already have a Dallas-style hairdo, because I have not been to the hairdressers for some months. I just need some shoulder pads. I thank her and all volunteers and fundraisers for their marvellous job in coming up with some really great ideas to support research.

[Emma Hardy (Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle) (Lab)]

What steps he is taking to help enable face-to-face family visits to care homes.

[Catherine West (Hornsey and Wood Green) (Lab)]

What steps he is taking to help enable face-to-face family visits to care homes.

[The Minister for Care (Helen Whately)]

Throughout the pandemic, we have had to strike a balance between protecting people from this cruel virus and social contact. Nowhere has this been harder than in care homes. That is why I am so pleased that, from 8 March, we will be enabling care homes to open up carefully to more visiting. Our guidance will set out how residents can have a named person for repeat visits, with testing and PPE so that those visits can be indoors. We look forward to enabling more visiting as soon as it is safe to do so.

[Emma Hardy [V]]

I welcome the new guidance on care home visits, but I am concerned about this phrase:

“With the agreement of the care home.”

Does the Minister share my concern that that may allow some care homes to disagree with the guidance, therefore decide that the risk is too high and prevent the physical contact that residents in care homes are so desperate to have with their loved ones?

[Helen Whately]

The hon. Member makes an important point. We have been clear that we want to see care homes enabling visiting. We recognise that care homes are having to strike a balance between giving residents access to visitors and making sure that those residents are safe. Our guidance will provide further support to care homes on how they can make sure that those visits happen.