5,000 signatures reached
To: The Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Stop Patients Being Moved to Care Homes Unless Proved Negative of Covid-19
The Department of Health and Social Care, along with the NHS, PHE and the CQC want ALL care homes in the UK to take patients from hospitals, including those who "may have COVID-19, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic." They also state that "Negative tests are not required prior to transfers / admissions into the care home." We would urge them to reconsider this reckless decision and ONLY move patients into care homes, if and only if they test negative and that those tests are carried out 14 days apart. If not, we may see many thousands of unnecessary deaths of vulnerable residents and care workers, who are currently free of the virus. This is an enormously irresponsible and dangerous decision.
Why is this important?
Society's most vulnerable people live in care homes across the land. These people are of all ages and suffer from numerous conditions. They are there because they are unable to take care of themselves, oftentimes not even being able to ascertain what might dangers might befall them and rely on their families and care workers to keep them safe; to keep them alive. This decision (taken on April 2nd) is obviously an extremely dangerous one and is very likely to end in deaths of people who cannot save themselves, that could be and must be avoided. The responsibility is on us - otherwise what kind of a society are we?
My mother is only 75. She developed sepsis in her 60s which affected her memory. Mum lives in a care home where she is happy, healthy, strong and extremely intelligent. She wants to live and has many more quality years available to her. Her life might easily be cut short because of this irresponsible decision by the government to house Covid-19 positive patients in her care home. Even with precautions would you want someone with the virus in the bedroom next to yours and sharing the same carers? No, neither does my Mum.
Edited to add:
The Government Guidelines: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/878099/Admission_and_Care_of_Residents_during_COVID-19_Incident_in_a_Care_Home.pdf
Sky News: https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-whats-happening-in-uk-care-homes-right-now-is-a-scandal-our-grandchildren-will-ask-about-11971795
