Boris Johnson urged to apologise after blaming care homes for coronavirus deaths

Boris Johnson has come under fire from care leaders who are calling for him to apologise after he claimed 'too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures' during the COVID-19 outbreak

During a visit to Goole in Yorkshire yesterday, the prime minister said: "We discovered too many care homes didn't really follow the procedures in the way that they could have.”

Mr Johnson was responding to Sir Simon Stevens, the head of NHS England, who has called for reform in social care within a year. He added: "Most important is to fund them properly ... but we will also be looking at ways to make sure the care sector long term is properly organised and supported.”

However his comment about funding care homes properly was lost as the care sector voiced their anger over Mr Johnson blaming them for coronavirus deaths in care homes, which according to the National Office for Statistics now total around 20,000.

Prime Minister's comments 'neither accurate or welcome'

Vic Rayner, executive director of the National Care Forum said: “Mr Johnson’s comments in relation to care home’ following of procedures are neither accurate nor welcome".

She highlighted the constant updating of guidance for care homes leaving "organisations grappling with over 100 pieces of additional guidance in the same number of days, much of which was not accompanied by an understanding of the operational implications of operating care services".

She added: "He is right that organisations need more support from government, but that support needs to start with him recognising the vital work of the sector, and turning the dial up on reform, and down on blame."

Ms Rayner also welcomed his recognition of “the need to increase the funding to the care sector. It is essential that the government looks at speed at the reform of the social care funding regime, and that we reflect at pace on what is needed for a responsive and flexible funding system that meets the true costs of care.”

’They used those same hands they were using to clap to slap the face of social care’

Nadra Ahmed, chair of the National Care Association, called it a “slap across the face of social care” and said Boris Johnson needs to apologise and retract his statement.

She told Sky News "This sector has looked after some of the most vulnerable people through this pandemic.

"And they've done it not having been shielded as a sector but being left to deal with it in their own way whilst all the attention was put on the NHS.

"When you think they stood clapping and talked about social care in the way that they did, they have used those same hands that they were using to clap to slap across the face of social care."

In February, Public Health England was advising care homes it was "very unlikely" they would be hit with the virus.

In March, care homes which ordered PPE supplies found they were being diverted to NHS hospitals.

A National Audit Office (NAO) report revealed 25,000 people were discharged from hospitals to care homes in England between 17 March and 15 April, with some of these not being tested for the virus. In Wales, 1,097 patients were sent from hospital to care homes without being tested for COVID-19 during March and April.

On 2 April, the government issued guidance which advised care homes they ‘could admit patients with COVID-19’.

'It's hard to describe how angry I feel'

This year, the care sector has had to deal with the biggest challenge it has ever faced, encountering deaths on a scale it has never seen, with many care workers leaving their families to self-isolate with care home residents in order to keep them safe, so the Prime Minister's comments have stirred up a lot of anger.

Sara Livedeas, chief executive of The Fremantle Trust, which runs 11 care homes, said on Twitter: 'It's hard to describe how angry I feel at these comments. Absent or constantly changing guidance, often issued late at night, sometimes contradictory, with little understanding of care home environments - which procedures didn't we follow @BorisJohnson'.

While Andy Tilden, director of operations at Skills for Care tweeted: ‘Went to sleep fuming and difficult to recall when I felt as angry. A timely moment to be humble and say Thank You to care workers who 24/7 did and are doing their utmost to provide care and support to enable people to live the best lives possible.’

’Boris Johnson should be fixing the crisis in social care, not blaming care homes'

Liz Kendall MP, Labour’s shadow social care minister said: “There have been 30,000 excess deaths in care homes and at least 20,000 of these caused by COVID-19.

"25,000 elderly people were discharged from hospitals to care homes without any tests whatsoever and frontline care workers were left without vital PPE.

“Staff who have gone the extra mile to care for elderly people, and experienced things the rest of us can only imagine, will be appalled to hear the Prime Minister’s comments.

“Boris Johnson should be taking responsibility for his actions and fixing the crisis in social care, not blaming care homes for this government’s mistakes.”

No 10 defends the Prime Minister

Defending Mr Johnson's comments, a Number 10 spokesperson said: "Throughout this crisis care homes have done a brilliant job under very difficult circumstances.

"The prime minister was pointing out that nobody knew what the correct procedures were because the extent of asymptomatic transmission was not known at the time."