Make care settings fortresses in the fight against COVID-19

17 May 2020

Care homes are in the news a lot at present. The Social Care Institute for Excellence’s Chief Executive Kathryn Smith welcomes recent Government reassurances about fighting COVID-19 in care settings and says that we have to keep getting the basics right.

The Social Care Institute for Excellence’s Chief Executive Kathryn Smith says:

It’s encouraging that the Government says that lessons have been learnt and that there are significant steps planned for the situation in care homes. We now need to make all care settings fortresses in the fight against COVID-19. We know from our research the importance of infection control but the only way the awful headlines can disappear is to make sure that staff have an ongoing supply of protective equipment and training on how to use it effectively; any discharges back to care homes must be considered really carefully; and testing must be regular and reliable. I welcome calls in Scotland to test in COVID-19-free care homes and urge this to happen throughout the UK. Let’s take the opportunity to get this right at a time when there’s good news on infection figures.

Links

• UK daily death figure dips to lowest since day after lockdown
• Call to roll out testing to Covid-free care homes (Scotland)
• Social Care Institute for Excellence: COVID-19 infection control for care providers

About the Social Care Institute for Excellence

• SCIE support during COVID-19 crisis
• About the Social Care Institute for Excellence
• SCIE on Twitter @SCIE_socialcare