Daughter unable to see dying mum in care home in lockdown says Downing Street party makes her feel 'sick'

Families of care home residents have voiced their anger over revelations that the Prime Minister attended a Downing Street party in May 2020, when strict Covid restrictions meant families were unable to see their loved ones for many months.

Boris Johnson has admitted he attended a party in his garden at 10 Downing Street on 20 May 2020, telling MPs he was in the garden for 25 minutes to thank staff before returning to work in his office.

An email, leaked to ITV News, showed 100 staff were invited to attend ‘socially distanced drinks’ in the garden at Number 10 so they could ‘make the most of the lovely weather’.

Gillian Nicol said: “I begged care home staff to let me in to be with my mum when they phoned me to say she was at end of life, I was denied this. This was in May 2020 while Boris was having parties in his garden. This makes me sick. We never got to say goodbye.”

John Tomsett revealed that in the same month that government staff were partying, he drove 520 miles from York to Sussex and back in one day for his mum's funeral.

“She had died alone in a care home. Afterwards I could have stayed overnight at my sister's but I knew that would have broken the lockdown rules. Meanwhile Boris Johnson was partying.”

Lynn Gamble, who used to be a full time carer for her husband who had dementia said: “Read the room. Yes the rules were hard to follow - being unable to visit loved ones in care homes, family dying in hospital, older people living alone and feeling cut off, but not when it's boozing in a garden because you've been working hard and want to make the best of the weather.

“I didn't see my husband in his care home for 16 weeks until two days before he died when I was allowed 15 minutes. I didn't even see him on 20 May, our silver wedding anniversary whilst it seems the PM and others partied. I did do the right thing. They did not.”

'It is deeply disappointing'

Mike Padgham, who runs St Cecilia’s care home in North Yorkshire and is chair of the Independent Care Group said his staff and residents feel let down.

He said: "It's heartbreaking for them because you can't get those times back.

"We did everything we could but we followed government guidelines because we felt we had the trust in people, we did what they said. And it's very disappointing to see what happened, that others weren't following that.

"It's deeply disappointing. I feel so much for the families that have lost loved ones and I feel sad for those who still have their loved ones today but couldn't visit in those very difficult days."

In the wake of the self-isolation period being cut to five days in England, the Relatives and Residents Association is calling for a complete overhaul of visiting guidance to respect the rights of care users and for existing legal duties to be complied with.

It also wants face-to-face, meaningful contact with family carers to be recognised in law as a prerequisite to basic good care and a responsive central complaints procedure with powers to bring about meaningful change.

Helen Wildbore, director of the R&RA said older people have been failed by the very systems designed to protect their rights.

“Fundamental rights to life and wellbeing for people in care were neglected at the beginning of the pandemic. Care users are still paying for the mistakes the Government made as policy swung dramatically to the other extreme, placing the most stringent, far reaching restrictions on movements in and out of care settings.

“In the name of keeping people safe from the virus, other rights are being infringed and untold harm is being caused to lives and wellbeing. People in care are facing discrimination and being left behind whilst the rest of the country gets back to normal. If this is what the Government meant by a protective ring, it is suffocating," she said.