Care leaders react to Sajid Javid's appointment after Hancock resigns for breaking Covid rules

Families and care home leaders have accused Matt Hancock, who has resigned as health and social care secretary, of hypocrisy over Covid rules which he broke by kissing a work colleague when care home residents were not allowed to hug their own family.

Former chancellor Sajid Javid was appointed health and social care secretary following Mr Hancock's resignation. Mr Javid told MPs in the House of Commons: “How do we provide a long-lasting sustainable solution to the social care challenge this country faces...as I said earlier to the Shadow Health Secretary this remains a huge priority.”

Mr Hancock resigned on 26 June after The Sun published CCTV images of him, breaking his own social distancing guidance by kissing work colleague Gina Coladangelo inside the Department of Health and Social Care building on 6 May.

Mr Hancock apologised for breaching social distancing guidance following The Sun's revelations but did not immediately resign.

Care staff and bereaved families have spoken out about their anger at the double standards and hypocrisy of Mr Hancock breaking coronavirus rules while imposing them on others.

Bereaved 'also had to suffer not being able to hug anyone'

The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group called Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s failure to sack his health secretary for breaching social distancing rules “a slap in the face” to all the relatives who had lost loved ones during the pandemic.

Dr Catherine Gardner has taken the Government to court after her dad died of Covid in a care home and says Matt Hancock’s behaviour was “insulting”.

Dr Gardner’s 88-year-old father Michael Gibson died of Covid-19 on 3 April, just a week after the first lockdown. Mr Gibson died after a patient was discharged from hospital back into his care home despite testing positive for the virus.

She told The Mirror: “The fact that he didn’t resign straight away was such an insult to everyone who has sacrificed so much and to the people who have lost so much.

“Those of us bereaved also had to suffer not being able to hug anyone, we had tiny, tiny funerals. In my case there were three of us for my father. For him to behave in this unbelievably selfish way, is yet another insult and it was also insulting to everyone’s intelligence to try and hang on.

“But he will not get away with just walking away from this, he will be held accountable.”

Dr Gardner’s application for a judicial review, which has been backed by thousands of bereaved families, is scheduled to be held on 19 October.

Sajid Javid: 'Fantastic efforts' of NHS and social care staff

Mr Javid said dealing with the pandemic was his "most immediate priority" following Mr Hancock's resignation.

"Thanks to the fantastic efforts of our NHS and social care staff who work tirelessly every day, and our phenomenal vaccination programme, we have made enormous progress in the battle against this dreadful disease. "

Vic Rayner, the chief executive of the National Care Forum told the Guardian: “The social care sector needs Sajid Javid to urgently take forward the agenda around reform. It is not possible for there to be any further delay on this.

“It is vital that his ambition for social care extends beyond a quick fix, and that he will secure a long-term future that is strong on ambition, and backed by an unambiguous investment agenda that ensures that social care that we all want and need is available to change lives now and in the future.”

Mike Padgham, chair of the Independent Care Group tweeted (@mike_padgham) on 26 June: "In my view one the biggest and important issues facing this country is the need to focus on getting the social care reform in place now without further delay and dealing with Covid 19. Anything else is an unnecessary distraction".

Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “Sajid Javid failed to reverse the previous eight years of social care cuts or deliver the investment our NHS needed in his time as chancellor of the Exchequer.

“He now needs to explain how he will bring down sky-high waiting lists, ensure people get the cancer care they need, get young people vital mental health support and crucially fix social care, which has suffered swingeing cuts under the Conservatives.”

Matt Hancock: 'We didn't get every decision right'

In a video posted on Twitter, Mr Hancock said: "I have been to see the prime minister to resign as secretary of state for health and social care.

"I understand the enormous sacrifices that everybody in this country has made, that you have made, and those of us who make these rules have got to stick by them and that's why I have got to resign."

In his resignation letter to Boris Johnson, Mr Hancock, who is married with three children, admitted: "I want to reiterate my apology for breaking the guidance and apologise to my family and loved ones for putting them through this.

“We didn’t get every decision right but I know people understand how hard it is to deal with the unknown, making the difficult trade-offs between freedom, prosperity and health that we have faced.”

Boris Johnson has said Mr Hancock "should leave office very proud of what you have achieved - not just in tackling the pandemic, but even before Covid-19 struck us". Mr Johnson added: "I am grateful for your support and believe that your contribution to public service is far from over."

On 6 May, England was still at Stage 2 of Covid restrictions. In relation to gatherings indoors, the law stated: "No person may participate in a gathering... which consists of two or more people and takes place indoors."

There was an exception for work purposes but only if the gathering was "reasonably necessary".

A week before the photo was taken, Mr Hancock, speaking at a Downing Street press conference, reminded the public to "remember the basics of hands, face, space, and fresh air".

Care bosses have highlighted a catalogue of care home failures by Matt Hancock during the pandemic including a national shortage of PPE which he recently denied.

In a tweet, Mark Topps (@_mark_topps), a former care home manager who worked at Little Wakering House last year, said:” I personally think he’s had a easy way out. He should have been held account for his failures across social care and the NHS, for the poor guidance, the unnecessary deaths and the fact that he failed in his role as the health and social care minister”.

In a tweet posted on 26 June, Adam Purnell (@adamdpurnell), care lead at Kepplegate care home said: “I can tell you what I think #socialcare will be all the better for this but I’m just so sorry he goes for breaching guidance and not for condemning so many to a lonely death in care.”