Care Homes: Coronavirus

(asked on 17th September 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions have taken place between his Department and the Care Quality Commission on the need to require care homes to participate in the programme of weekly Covid-19 testing for care home workers.


Answered by
Helen Whately Portrait
Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 15th December 2020

Testing in care homes is a crucial part of our strategy to help prevent and control outbreaks, and we have done everything we can to encourage care homes to register to receive test kits, including contacting every eligible care home provider that has not registered to receive test kits and sending test kits to all eligible care homes. We share our regular COVID-19 testing update with Care Quality Commission (CQC) colleagues, care home managers and providers, keeping them informed of important announcements and updated guidance including webinars from the National Testing Programme as well launching the care home testing 119 helpdesk.

It is not within the CQC’s regulatory powers to enforce participation in weekly COVID-19 testing for care home workers. However, during calls with providers and when out on inspection, CQC staff use an Infection Prevention Control (IPC) tool to gather information on the matter and do strongly encourage participation in weekly testing. The CQC is planning to report on their findings regarding IPC on a regular basis.

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