Care homes turn away new residents as staff shortages worsen

Nearly half of care homes have closed their doors to new residents and two-thirds of home care providers are turning down requests for home care, due to staff shortages caused by Covid and the mandatory vaccine, according to the National Care Forum.

Thousands of care workers have already left their jobs after refusing to get the mandatory Covid vaccine and many are off sick isolating with Covid, leaving care providers struggling to cope with staff shortages.

This has led to 43 per cent of care home providers closing to new residents and 66 per cent of home care providers refusing new requests for home care, with 21 per cent of home care providers handing back existing care packages.

Vic Rayner, chief executive of the NCF, which carried out the research, said: “It is unacceptable that yet again, nearly two years on from the start of the pandemic, we continue to see enormous pressures in the care and support sector, this time compounded by the impact of Omicron.

“Staff shortages are excessively high and everything must be done to support providers to operate safe and quality services, so that people have access to the care and support they need, when they need it.”

Care providers reported 18 per cent vacancy rate and 14 per cent absence as a result of the Omicron variant.

Ms Rayner added: “The adoption of a strategy by government that gives social care the crumbs from the table in an unrealistic hope that somehow it can continue to operate regardless of meaningful attention is negligent.

“The NCF and our membership have been highlighting the growing shortages in the workforce and the knock-on impact on those who remain working in the sector and those who use care and support services for many months. How many times does this message need to be repeated for it to be heard?

“Those working on the frontline describe the situation today as ‘grim, difficult and relentless’. This must stop. Social care matters to us all, and it is imperative that policy makers properly understand and appreciate the essential part social care contributes, alleviating the many pressures in communities, including those experienced by the NHS and, most importantly the people who need care and support.”

The impact of staff shortages is putting existing staff teams under tremendous pressure and providers are having to be much more reliant on agency staff, with high associated costs, with some members being quoted hourly rates of over £30 for front line staff, and up to £50 an hour for nurses.

One care provider told NCF: “We currently have a national staff turnover of 39 per cent with 44 per cent in the South.”

Another said: “The situation changes by the shift let alone by the day. It is firefighting every day and prioritising delivery of care over other responsibilities.”

To listen to Vic Rayner talking on the Let's Talk About Care podcast about staff shortages, the need for a pay increase and the impact of the mandatory vaccine click here