Families can visit England's care homes this Christmas if they test negative for COVID-19

Care home residents in England will receive indoor visits from family and friends this Christmas if they test negative for COVID-19, the government has promised.

In new guidance which came into force today and coincides with the start of tough tier 1,2 and 3 coronavirus restrictions across the country, care home visits will be allowed in all tiers unless there is an outbreak in the care home.

The government has said more than a million rapid Lateral Flow Tests have been sent to 385 of the biggest care homes as the first of a phase of the national roll out to enable visiting by Christmas.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "The separation has been painful, but has protected residents and staff from this deadly virus.

"I'm so pleased we are now able to help reunite families and more safely allow people to have meaningful contact with their loved ones by Christmas."

Care home visits must be arranged in advance with the care home, which is responsible for setting their visiting policy.

In new guidance, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) stated: ‘The default position set out in this guidance is that visits should be supported and enabled wherever it is safe to do so.’

Tests will 'not completely remove the risk of infection'

The government also advised that visitors ‘will need to be mindful of the additional workload for the care home’.

The guidance stated: ‘Care homes will receive these tests during December and have sufficient quantities to test up to two visitors per resident, twice a week by Christmas.

‘While rapid testing can reduce the risks around visiting it does not completely remove the risk of infection’.

As a result, the guidance advises that as well as testing, care homes must use infection prevention and control measures and visitors must continue to wear personal protective equipment.

An extra 46 million items of free PPE will be sent to care homes through the government portal in addition to PPE already available.

Visitors must also observe social distancing, practice good hand hygiene and ‘follow any guidance the care home itself provides on physical contact with the person they are visiting.’

The government is also publishing new guidance allowing some residents under 65 to spend time with their families at Christmas outside of care homes.

3.6 million staff hours required to do tests

The National Care Forum (NCF), a member association for not-for-profit social care providers has welcomed the news but has called care homes’ test commitments under this guidance “substantial”.

NCF executive director Vic Rayner called it “positive” that the government had made visiting the 'default' position in care homes.

“This is a game changing moment for visits”

But she warned: “The scale of the testing commitments is substantial, with an expectation that testing should be available for every resident to have twice weekly testing for up to two visitors per week”.

She said NCF’s own analysis suggests that for care homes to meet all testing commitments outlined by the winter plan, will require “an additional 3.6 million hours of care staff time, currently with no additional resource to deliver this.”

No ability for care homes to make Christmas visiting ‘a reality for all’

“It is essential that the government addresses this immediately, or else risks setting in train huge expectations around visiting, with no meaningful ability for care homes to deliver at the scale and pace required to make visiting a reality for all by Christmas. Overall, the guidance around visiting is largely ‘on the money’ – but without the money!”

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK said: “The government has promised that everyone will be able to visit their loved one by Christmas and, while this is a laudable aim it is also very ambitious, so we remain worried that practical difficulties of various kinds could get in the way for some.

“Older people and their families have been through so much, we need to be careful not to set them up for further disappointments."

Fiona Carragher, director of research and influencing at Alzheimer’s Society said: “Hugs, a smile from a familiar face, holding hands, feeling joy again – these are hugely important, as is the essential care that family carers provide to people with dementia.

"Quite literally keeping people alive and tethered to the world."

Martin Green, the chief executive of Care England, which represents independent care providers, said: "In order for these promising plans to land successfully, the sector must now be adequately supported by the government”.

Care provider facing ‘Catch 22’ after doubts about test accuracy

The Independent Care Group (ICG), which represents care homes, has said care providers are facing a ‘Catch-22’ situation as they prepare for testing to allow relatives to visit.

Care providers have expressed doubts on the accuracy of Lateral Flow Tests, which have been echoed by Sheffield Council who has instructed all care homes in the city not to use them.

The ICG's concerns come after official figures show another increase in the number of COVID-19 deaths in care homes.

ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: “We are in a no-win situation here. On the one hand the death rates are continuing to rise and there are doubts about the accuracy of the Lateral Flow Tests (LFT) the Government wants us to use.

“On the other hand, we do want to enable relatives to be able to visit their loved ones, especially as we approach the festive season.”

Official figures show 467 people died from COVID-19 in care homes in the week up to 20 November – up from 425 the previous week. Some 17,319 people died from COVID-19 in care homes between 28 December - 13 November.

Mr Padgham said: “Numbers are still edging up and we are reaching a critical moment for care providers, with so many things to cope with at once”.