Coronavirus: Care home deaths fall for seventh week in a row

For a seventh consecutive week, care homes in England have reported a fall in deaths, reflecting a UK-wide continual drop in the care home death rate.

England’s care homes reported 407 COVID-19 deaths (irrespective of place of death) to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), from the week ending 12 June, down from 626 deaths the week before (week ending 5 June).

This is a successive fall from a peak of 3,631 coronavirus deaths of care home residents reported for the week ending 24 April. The successive death rate fall in England reflects a drop in care home deaths across the UK.

Wales death rate falls for a sixth week in a row

Data recorded by Care Inspectorate Wales shows that there were 15 COVID-19 deaths reported in care homes in the week ending 12 June.

This is a drop of 30 deaths the previous week (week ending 29 May).

According to separate data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there have been 24 coronavirus care home deaths in Wales for the week ending 5 June. This is a fall in the death rate for the sixth week in a row.

Scotland's death rate falls for sixth week

National Records of Scotland, which publishes weekly figures every Wednesday, reported on 10 June that the number of care home COVID-19 deaths fell for a sixth consecutive week to 42 deaths for the week ending 7 June.

This is a decrease when compared to 69 deaths reported the week before (w/e 31 May).

Separate data (reported on the Scottish Government website) gathered by Scotland’s Care Inspectorate reveals 50 COVID-19 care home deaths (confirmed or suspected) the week before (w/e 7 June).

Northern Ireland's continual decline

In Northern Ireland’s care homes the COVID-19 death rate has fallen for the fifth consecutive week in a row, with four deaths down from 10 the previous week (29 May) reported for the week ending 5 June, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra).

'Excess deaths in care homes continue to be higher than the five-year average'

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, (LGA) said: “Every week we are painfully reminded of each one of the lives tragically lost to this dreadful disease. Our thoughts go out to those family and friends in mourning at this difficult time.

“Social care remains the frontline in the fight against coronavirus and while it is clear we are now past the peak of the virus in care homes, it is still seriously concerning that nearly a third of all deaths from COVID-19 continues to happen in these settings.

“Excess deaths in care homes and private homes continue to be higher than the five-year average, compared to hospitals which have seen a decline, leaving our older people and most vulnerable at risk.

“Councils are doing all they can to protect those in care homes, as well as those receiving care in their own homes.

Cllr Hudspeth has also warned the government needs to ensure that councils and social care services have all the resources they need for the weeks and months ahead.

He said: “Every council in England has prepared plans on how to support all care homes in their areas to control and prevent future infection outbreaks, working alongside the NHS locally and with Public Health England.

“The LGA will also be working closely with the new National COVID-19 Social Care Support Taskforce to tackle these issues and help guide social care through this current crisis and beyond.”