View all newsletters
Sign up to our newsletters

Support 110 years of independent journalism.

  1. Science & Tech
  2. Coronavirus
29 April 2020updated 06 Oct 2020 9:45am

Evening summary: “Fundamental and structural issues” with coronavirus response in care homes

By Samuel Horti

The government has, for the first time, included deaths outside of hospitals in its daily coronavirus data, and the new figures show the UK is on track to record a higher death toll than any other country in Europe. The 26,097 deaths recorded so far are less than every other country in Europe bar Italy, which is weeks ahead of the UK’s timeline.

Care homes account for the bulk of deaths outside of hospitals, and the death rate in care homes appears to be rising or holding steady, unlike in hospitals. Would a more comprehensive testing programme earlier in the pandemic have saved lives? It’s still too early to say, Public Health England medical director Yvonne Doyle said at this afternoon’s Downing Street coronavirus briefing, before adding that “there are possibly more fundamental and structural issues about how care homes are run in an epidemic that we are now looking to implement”.

She didn’t specify what those changes might look like (she mentioned that interactions between staff and residents differ between care homes) but Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab later gave a hint when he said the government was considering moving some care home residents into hospitals to protect them. The suggestion, mentioned in a question from a member of the public, was “under review”, he said, and would be one way of utilising the NHS’s spare hospital capacity.

Earlier in the day, we learned that one in three English care homes have suffered an outbreak of Covid-19, that care home deaths in Scotland are exceeding deaths in hospitals for the first time, and that schools will open in a “phased” way once the lockdown is eased.

Scroll down this blog to catch up on all the important news from today.

Content from our partners
The promise of prevention
How Labour hopes to make the UK a leader in green energy
Is now the time to rethink health and care for older people? With Age UK

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU