Government extends Infection Control Fund to protect care homes and home care against COVID-19

The government has announced it is giving care providers an extra £546m, so they can pay staff full wages if they have to self-isolate and hire more care workers to limit movement of staff between care homes, to help stop the spread of the virus.

The Infection Control Fund which was set up in May gave care providers £600m to reduce the transmission of the disease. This has now been extended until March 2021.

The fund has now also been opened up to home care providers so they too can put extra measures in place.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock said: “This new funding of over half a billion pounds will support not only care home residents, but also some of the most vulnerable in society living at home and in supported living.

“I know this will give peace of mind to so many, and we will set out further detail in our Adult Social Care Winter Plan this week.”

Data published by the Department for Health and Social Care in July showed the funding has helped care home providers take key steps to improve infection prevention and control in care settings, including restricting staff movement in care homes and paying staff to self-isolate.

Minister for Care, Helen Whately added: “I know just how hard social care staff have been working over the last six months to provide compassionate care for our loved ones and keep them safe in the face of this global threat. I am committed to ensuring the social care system has everything they need for the winter months ahead.

“Today we have set out additional funding to bolster infection prevention and protect our loved ones receiving care.”

Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, which represents care providers, welcomed the announcement, saying: “The extension of the Infection Control Fund gives providers some level of certainty but short term funds are no substitute for longer term funding and support.”

He added: “The impact of such funds will be negated if other systems such as testing and PPE distribution falter over the coming weeks and months.”

Cllr David Fothergill, health and social care spokesperson for the County Councils Network, added:

“Today’s announcement that the infection control is going to be renewed for over the winter is reassuring to our staff and care providers who are facing up to a difficult few months. We need to learn from the lessons of the first wave of coronavirus and ensure that government provides social care with the necessary protection it needs over the winter period, instead of seeing the sector as an afterthought to the NHS.

“County authorities have worked quickly to distribute this previous pot of funding directly to providers and will continue to do so over the coming weeks as we prepare for additional pressures during winter.

“We will encourage ministers to make sure the criteria for distributing the fund is as simplified as possible, so councils can get it to the frontline as quickly as possible.”

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