Government confirms care home residents still have to self isolate after overnight hospital stay

‘Freedom Day’ on 19 July was meant to bring an end to most restrictions for care home residents in England, however new guidance has confirmed care home residents will still have to isolate on their return from overnight stays in hospital.

The updated guidance will apply from 19 July 2021 and states: ‘There are certain types of activity where the risks are inherently higher and the advice is that in these cases the resident should self-isolate on their return (to the care home).

These activities are:

• overnight stays in hospital

• visits assessed to be high-risk following an individual risk assessment

‘This is to ensure that, in the event they have unknowingly become infected while out of the home, they minimise the chances of passing that infection on to other residents and staff.’

Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England said: “Although England moves into Step Four of the national road map where the majority of Covid-19 legal restrictions will be lifted, care homes uphold a responsibility to safeguard the wellbeing of their residents.

“We would have liked to have seen a greater direction as to how these step 4 changes interact with the adult social care sector. Care homes remain under enormous pressure including many care workers in self isolation and I want to pay tribute to all the work that they have done.”

'This blanket policy has long been unfair, unlawful, harmful. Now, the disparity is appalling'

Currently, the guidance states 'visits that are deemed to be high risk, such as an overnight stay at a hospital, will still require a 14 day isolation period after returning to the care home.

'If a person is admitted from a hospital or another care home they must also self-isolate.'

The Relatives & Residents Association responded angrily on Twitter to the publication of the guidance, saying: “Astonishing: 3 days before all restrictions lifted across England, government guidance tells people living in care to still quarantine after a hospital stay. This blanket policy has long been unfair, unlawful, harmful. Now, the disparity is appalling.”

The government added this guidance will remain under review, and it is ‘our ambition that guidance on self-isolation following overnight stays in hospital will be amended as soon as the data and evidence show it is safe.’

The published guidance comes after the UK recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases for six months. With 42,302 new coronavirus cases recorded yesterday, England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty has warned the UK is “not out of the woods yet.”

Appearing as an on-line guest for the Science Museum, he said: “We are in much better shape due to the vaccine programme, and drugs and a variety of other things.

“[But] we could get into trouble again surprisingly fast and seeing the number in hospital is low now that does not mean the number in hospital will be low in five, six, seven, eight weeks’ time, they could actually be quite serious.”

He advised everyone "to take things incredibly slowly", saying that "most people will still take precautions" especially when shopping or travelling on public transport.

To read the carehome.co.uk advice page regarding coronavirus: Can I visit my relative in a care home? Click here

To read the 'visits out of care homes' guidance click here