Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is gathering evidence to assess the (a) physical and (b) mental health impact of isolation in care settings.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) provides advice to the Department on the risk of the spread of infection in care homes and on the risks of isolation on residents’ mental and physical wellbeing. In addition, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities monitors the impact of COVID-19 on the population’s mental health through its surveillance tracker. The Department and the UKHSA are reviewing the isolation rules and updated advice is due to be published in the adult social care infection prevention and control guidance by 1 April 2022.