Care Homes: Coronavirus

(asked on 15th June 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what arrangements are in place for patients being discharged from hospital and into care homes to prevent the spread of covid-19.


Answered by
Helen Whately Portrait
Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 19th June 2020

It is our priority to ensure that everyone is discharged safely from hospital and to the most appropriate available place.

Our guidance published on 2 April set out advice to care homes on infection control procedures to limit the spread of the virus in care homes. It set out the appropriate isolation required for care home residents who have been discharged from hospital following treatment for COVID-19. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-admission-and-care-of-people-in-care-homes

The Adult Social Care Action Plan published on 15 April set out further measures to support care homes in reducing transmission of the virus. This included a commitment to all patients being tested prior to discharge to a care home, with responsibility being given to councils to identify alternative accommodation where care homes are not able to provide appropriate isolation for people who have tested positive for COVID-19. Costs of providing alternative accommodation are covered by the £1.3 billion COVID-19 discharge funding provided via the NHS in March. The Adult Social Care Action Plan is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-adult-social-care-action-plan

On 15 May, we published our care home support package. This responded to the latest evidence from Public Health England and sets out the steps that must now be taken to keep people in care homes safe, and the support that is brought together across national and local government to help care providers put this into practice. To support this, on 13 May we announced an additional £600 million to support providers through a new Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund.

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