Matt Hancock denies saying care homes were put in a protective ring from start despite live TV footage

Health and social care secretary Matt Hancock has denied ever claiming to have said the government had put care homes in a 'protective ring' from the start of the pandemic, despite live TV footage capturing the minister saying it.

At a Downing Street briefing in May 2020 broadcast live on TV, Mr Hancock told the public: “So right from the start we’ve tried to throw a protective ring around our care homes.

“We set out our first advice in February and as the virus grew we strengthened it throughout. We’ve made sure that care homes have the resources they need to control the spread of infection.”

However, on Sunday (6 June) Matt Hancock denied making the claim on BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show.

Referring to his claim that care homes were put in a protective ring, he said: “I said that much later about what we were doing about the winter plan”.

Mr Hancock is scheduled to appear at a joint hearing of the House of Commons health and science committees this week.

Mr Hancock’s latest comments follow allegations by the Prime Minister’s ex-chief advisor Dominic Cummings who gave evidence before the health and social care select committee, accusing Mr Hancock of lying in March 2020 by announcing that all care home residents returning from hospital would be tested when they then were not.

An estimated 25,000 people were discharged from hospitals into care homes without all getting a test at the height of the pandemic in spring 2020.

Care home managers have told carehome.co.uk there was no ‘protective ring around them including care home manager Anita Astle of Wren Hall nursing home speaking as a guest on ‘Let’s Talk About Care’ podcast.

Care homes ignore guidance advising 14-day isolation for new residents

Care home managers are used to receiving new guidance late on Friday night, and Friday 4 June was no different with Mr Hancock’s Department of Health and Social Care publishing 17 minor changes in an update to its guidance.

The guidance also highlighted recommendations that have been in place for a while, including advice that anyone coming to live in a care home for the first time must self-isolate in their rooms for 14 days.

This recommendation has been described as impractical for new residents who are trying to settle into a new home.

The guidance states ‘New residents admitted from the community, should be isolated for 14 days within their own room. This should be the case unless they have already undergone isolation for a 14-day period in another setting, and even then, the care home may wish to isolate new residents for a further 14 days.’

Care home managers have told carehome.co.uk that in practice, new residents are not isolated in their rooms for 14 days and are instead given a PCR test and Lateral Flow Test.

Mark Topps, a former manager of a care home in Essex, said: “I’ve spoken to a lot of care home managers and I don’t know anyone that is following this for new residents. Managers are testing new residents.”