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Coronavirus: Boris Johnson criticised over 'cowardly' care home comments Coronavirus: Boris Johnson criticised over 'cowardly' care home comments
(about 2 hours later)
Boris Johnson has been criticised for saying "too many care homes didn't really follow the procedures" during the coronavirus outbreak. Boris Johnson has been accused of trying to shift the blame for coronavirus deaths onto care homes.
The prime minister was responding to the head of NHS England's call for reform in social care within a year. The prime minister said on Monday that "too many care homes didn't really follow the procedures".
Mr Johnson said it was "important to fund" the sector, but it needed to be "properly organised and supported". His words sparked fury in the care home sector, with one charity boss calling them "clumsy and cowardly".
Mark Adams, CEO of charity Community Integrated Care, told the BBC the PM's comments were "cowardly". Business secretary Alok Sharma said the PM had simply been pointing out that "nobody at the time knew what the correct procedures were".
Speaking to the Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Adams said he was "unbelievably disappointed" by the reaction. Mr Sharma told BBC Breakfast there had been a lack of understanding of levels of asymptomatic transmission at the start of the outbreak and that is why "detailed guidance" was put in place for care homes to follow.
"I think at best this was clumsy and cowardly," he continued. He added: "No-one is suggesting care homes have not done a great job under really difficult circumstances."
"But to be honest with you, if this is genuinely his view, I think we're almost entering a Kafkaesque alternative reality where the government sets the rules, we follow them, they don't like the results, they then deny setting the rules and blame the people that were trying to do their best." But Mark Adams, who runs the charity Community Integrated Care, told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme the prime minister's comments were "cowardly" and a "travesty of leadership".
Mr Adams added there had been a "travesty of leadership" from the prime minister on care homes. 'Hugely insulting'
Earlier, the National Care Forum said Mr Johnson's remarks were "frankly hugely insulting" to care workers. He added: "If this is genuinely his view, I think we're almost entering a Kafkaesque alternative reality where the government sets the rules, we follow them, they don't like the results, they then deny setting the rules and blame the people that were trying to do their best."
'Aggrieved' Nearly 20,000 people are confirmed to have died of coronavirus in care homes in England and Wales since the beginning of the outbreak.
The National Care Forum said Mr Johnson's remarks were "frankly hugely insulting" to care workers.
Vic Rayner, executive director of the forum which represents 120 social care charities, told BBC Newsnight that care homes followed the guidance "to the letter" but the government's attention was focused on hospitals.Vic Rayner, executive director of the forum which represents 120 social care charities, told BBC Newsnight that care homes followed the guidance "to the letter" but the government's attention was focused on hospitals.
"There will be a lot of people within the care sector who feel that their efforts have gone unrecognised and who I think will feel rightly aggrieved that all the hard work and enormous effort they've put in hasn't been acknowledged," she said. Labour's Shadow care minister Liz Kendall told the BBC that care workers had been "abandoned" by the government, adding: "This attempt to shift responsibility is a new low."
Care homes have been at the centre of the coronavirus crisis in the UK. "Boris Johnson should be taking responsibility for his actions and fixing the crisis in social care, not blaming care homes for this government's mistakes."
Almost 30,000 more care home residents in England and Wales died during the outbreak than during the same period in 2019 - with two-thirds of those deaths attributed to the virus. Behind the scenes in the government, there is a frustration the care sector has escaped largely blame free from the crisis.
Shadow care minister Liz Kendall told the BBC that care workers had been "abandoned" by the government, adding: "This attempt to shift responsibility is a new low." Care homes are not government-run. On the whole they are owned and operated by private firms.
Asked if he agreed with Mr Johnson's comments, Business Secretary Alok Sharma told BBC Breakfast "no-one is suggesting care homes have not done a great job under really difficult circumstances". As you would expert in a network of more than 14,000 homes there is a variation in performances and practices.
He said what the PM was pointing out was that "nobody at the time knew what the correct procedures were" because of a lack of understanding of levels of asymptomatic transmission and that is why "detailed guidance" was put in place for care homes to follow. Not all care homes have seen outbreaks - and that, of course, means questions should be asked. But the sector is right to complain that guidance, certainly at the start, was changing all the time.
Johnson needs the care sector on side The big national effort on PPE was focused on the NHS, leaving some homes severely lacking in equipment as their supply chains dried up or could not cope.
Analysis by Helen Catt, BBC News political correspondent The roll-out of testing was slow - it is only now that residents and staff are to get regular testing, vital if those who are infected but don't show symptoms are to be spotted.
After 30,000 excess deaths were recorded in care homes in England and Wales in three months - two thirds of them directly attributed to Covid-19 - the government's response to the pandemic in the sector is coming under increasing scrutiny. This virus is very tricky to contain and the UK is not alone in struggling to protect care homes.
The government maintains it threw a "protective ring" around care homes - a claim critics say is at odds with failures in providing personal protective equipment (PPE) and allowing hospital patients to be discharged without being tested. But no debate would be complete without mention of funding.
Boris Johnson has promised to "fix" the social care system, although the government has yet to set out a precise plan for how. The overhaul of the system has been talked about for years, but nothing has been done, leaving some services in a precarious position. The virus has certainly exploited that.
"Solving" social care is a problem that has beaten many a government before this, so if the prime minister is to succeed, he is going to need the sector on side. It comes as the Care England, the largest body representing independent care homes, accused the government of dragging its feet over issuing new guidance for visitors to care homes.
Whether his comments are an attempt to shift the blame, or just a case of unfortunate wording, run-ins like this won't help. Chief executive Martin Green said: "We are at a loss to know why the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is incapable of making swift decisions at a time of crisis.
"As the country unlocks, care providers are in the dark as to what is permissible in terms of visitors to their residents, or indeed residents leaving their homes on visits.
"This should have been a priority for the DHSC given that care homes are central to fighting this dreadful pandemic".
Funding promises
NHS England head Sir Simon Stevens told the BBC's Andrew Marr on Sunday that coronavirus had shone a "very harsh spotlight" on the "resilience" of the care system.NHS England head Sir Simon Stevens told the BBC's Andrew Marr on Sunday that coronavirus had shone a "very harsh spotlight" on the "resilience" of the care system.
Asked about the comments, Mr Johnson said: "One of the things the crisis has shown is we need to think about how we organise our social care package better and how we make sure we look after people better who are in social care. Asked on Monday about Sir Simon's comments, Mr Johnson said: "One of the things the crisis has shown is we need to think about how we organise our social care package better and how we make sure we look after people better who are in social care.
"We discovered too many care homes didn't really follow the procedures in the way that they could have but we're learning lessons the whole time.""We discovered too many care homes didn't really follow the procedures in the way that they could have but we're learning lessons the whole time."
Other organisations representing care providers also criticised Mr Johnson's comments, with the Independent Care Group said the vast majority of providers had "done their absolute best in the face of slow and conflicting advice".
Mike Padgham, chairman of the group, said: "We should not be getting into the blame game and it is wrong to criticise care and nursing homes at this time.
"Care providers may not have got everything perfect but neither has the government. For far too much of this pandemic, providers were operating in the dark over what they ought to do and with one arm behind their backs in terms of the support they were given.
"In those circumstances, they have worked miracles."
Ahead of December's election, the Conservatives pledged an extra £1bn per year for social care in England over the next five years.Ahead of December's election, the Conservatives pledged an extra £1bn per year for social care in England over the next five years.
Mr Johnson has also stated on a number of occasions he would bring forward a plan on social care reform, but it has yet to be published.
The government has given an extra £3.2bn in emergency Covid-19 funds to English councils, which can be put towards helping with social care costs.The government has given an extra £3.2bn in emergency Covid-19 funds to English councils, which can be put towards helping with social care costs.
Ministers have also promised an additional £600m for care homes to help with controlling infections.Ministers have also promised an additional £600m for care homes to help with controlling infections.
How do you think care homes have handled the coronavirus crisis? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.How do you think care homes have handled the coronavirus crisis? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist.Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist.
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