Coronavirus: Care homes across UK see death rate continue to fall

For the tenth week in a row, England has seen a drop in care home coronavirus deaths, with the Local Government Association calling "every life lost to this disease a tragedy".

England’s care homes have reported 147 COVID-19 deaths to the Care Quality Commission for the week ending 3 July - this is down from the 184 deaths the week before (w/e 26 June).

England’s figures relate to care home residents' deaths, irrespective of where a resident’s death occurred.

The death rate is continuing to drop in England from a peak of 3,631 COVID-19 deaths of care home residents for the week ending 24 April.

Scotland's death rate falls

In Scotland’s care homes there were 20 COVID-19 deaths (for the week ending 21 June) - a fall from the 35 deaths recorded the week before (w/e 14 June).

These figures from National Records of Scotland (NRS), which publishes its latest figures every Wednesday, relate to the number of deaths occurring in care homes only.

Separate data from Scotland’s Care Inspectorate reveal 18 residents died in care homes of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 in the week ending 22 June - a drop from the 28 residents who died the week before (w/e 14 June).

Scotland's COVID-19 deaths reached a peak of 341 deaths in the week ending 26 April.

Daily data for 6 July, published on the Scottish Government's website, revealed there were 123 care homes with a current case of suspected COVID-19 – which equates to 11 per cent of Scotland’s care homes.

Welsh death rate falls after sudden rise last week

Wales reported five care home residents die of (confirmed or suspected COVID-19) in the week ending 3 July, according to notifications from care homes to Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW).

The week before, it had eight care home residents who died of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 for the week ending 26 June. This figure had doubled from the previous week where the inspectorate reported four deaths.

The figure includes all locations where the resident died (which includes hospital, ambulance, care home or unknown).

Northern Ireland statistics remain the same

In Northern Ireland, two care home residents have died of suspected or confirmed COVID-19, (irrespective of where deaths actually occurred) for week ending 26 June. This statistic remains the same when compared to the week before, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra).

The death rate has fallen every week in Northern Ireland's care homes, from a peak of 82 COVID-19 deaths in the week ending 1 May.

'Every life lost to this disease is a tragedy'

Responding to the latest figures, Councillor Ian Hudspeth, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: "While the number of deaths attributable to coronavirus in care homes continues to fall, it is still concerning that the number of people dying at home is higher than the five-year average.

"This could suggest that some are choosing not to go to hospital or receive help elsewhere.

“Every life lost to this disease is a tragedy and our thoughts go out to all those who have lost family members and friends during this difficult period."

He added: “Staff working in care homes and those providing care in people’s own homes have done an incredible job, in extremely challenging circumstances to protect those they care for throughout this crisis."

'Real slap in the face for workers after they have sacrificed so much'

Mike Padgham, chair of the Independent Care Group (ICG) said: "We warmly welcome today's continued fall in the death rate in care and nursing homes and feel it is a testament to the amazing, selfless and brave efforts by care workers during this horrific pandemic.

Today, carehome.co.uk reported 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.

Mr Padgham said: "[This] makes it all the more upsetting for the sector when the Prime Minister makes the comments he did, a real slap in the face for those workers after they have given and sacrificed so much.

"We hope he will reflect on those comments and see the incredible work the care sector has done in the recent months to care for older and vulnerable people."

Mr Padgham hopes will this will "spur" the government to reform the sector and end the "crisis in social care which left us so vulnerable to a virus like Covid-19."

'Extra vigilance is needed as the lockdown continues to ease'

Dr Layla McCay, director at the NHS Confederation, said: “It is extremely reassuring that the number of people dying with coronavirus continues to decline but the events in Leicester, as well as the raised reproduction rate in some parts of the country, show the disease is still very much present in our communities.

"This means extra vigilance is needed as the lockdown continues to ease. We have just had an outpouring of support for the NHS with its 72nd anniversary and following what has been a challenging four months – we must now do everything we can to protect our frontline workers across health and social care".

Dr McCay wants to see "major progress" with the test and trace system to help stop coronavirus spreading through communities and ensure the NHS is not overwhelmed as it resumes patient services.