UK social care leaders have assured Independence that there is no evidence of detailed plans to help nursing homes and care workers cope with a serious outbreak of the Corona virus.
In a stern warning, Professor Martin Green, CEO of Care England, a charity representing caregivers, stressed that he feared widespread deaths would be imperative if the virus invaded the country and hit what the government called "ignorance" of social care and its importance.
Experts from the Nuffield Trust Research Center have warned that Britain's welfare sector is particularly vulnerable to the virus so that a number of vulnerable and elderly patients depend on care workers who may have to stay in their homes in large numbers.
In his interview with The Independent, Green noted that while the government and local councils have been claiming to have contingency plans, a number of care providers are still unfamiliar with what exactly will be done. He said, "There is no evidence of a plan. I am not even sure that these departments have plans or that they are merely making breakthroughs to move forward." He added that if the epidemic were to spread widely, "we will see many deaths. I think this is inevitable."
Health Minister Matt Hancock insisted during his accountability in parliament on Tuesday by Barbara Kelly in the "Labor" party, that social welfare is part of the government's planning. But he admitted that social welfare "will face difficult times."
While the Public Health Authority of England, the executive agency of the Ministry of Health, has published general guidelines, these appear outdated, claiming that there is no evidence of infection in the United Kingdom, although a total of three hundred and seventy-three cases were registered as of Tuesday. There are no specific instructions on what to do if large numbers of employees or service users are sick.
For employees in the event of large numbers of them getting sick or needing self-isolation, as well as regarding the purchase of medicines and equipment and the way to care for people in their homes.
"Home care services are very important. If a lot of home care workers get sick, we will be facing a big problem. People who need this care will not receive any support, they will not be fed, washed or taken care of along with their hygiene. These are People have real needs. "
He asked a number of questions, "I want to know exactly what the National Health Services in England say to" clinical commissioning groups "and general practitioners about how they should respond to care homes? What is the plan of local authorities? The system is preparing to respond to a sector "National Health Services" only and not the elements of the entire system. I think we are facing a real aging problem here. We have not heard of any detailed plan. All that has been said is that there are contingency plans. There is a complete lack of information. "
In Britain there are now about a hundred and twenty thousand vacancies in the social welfare system, and if twenty percent of workers are forced to commit to self-isolation, more than two hundred thousand employees may leave the sector. There were allegations that municipal councils could redeploy care workers and suspend the rules for examining criminal records.
Helen Buckingham of the “The Netfield Trust Research Center” expresses “grave concern” about social care, adding that “with great pressure on hospital beds, patients will really need care services to be able to continue their recovery well enough to prevent people from entering You can avoid that. "
While the government's "social divergence" policy will increase work, she said, "A distance between employees and service users cannot be maintained. Unlike the national health services, the social welfare sector is very fragmented with a few large service providers, and a large number There are very small local service providers. There is no national command and control mechanism. I know that the role of local authorities is crucial. They have good supervision of providing social care in their areas, and they must work with local service providers on their own resilience plans and ensure coordination with local health services ".
In the House of Commons, the shadow government’s “workers” welfare minister reported that she heard reports that care workers had to purchase their own gloves, and that one of the equipment orders the National Health Services Authority had recovered. She stressed that "there are already a hundred and twenty vacancies among the care workforce, and we are now facing the possibility that a large number of care personnel will be forced to self-isolate due to the Corona virus."
The Minister of Health responded by confirming that care workers "are vital in the national effort to treat those infected with the Coronavirus, and we will take care to remove any barriers to facilitating the work of social care. In all contingency plans designed to deal with the worst reasonable scenarios, there are ways to continue working while reducing Twenty percent of the workforce. Ensuring that the best care can be provided in what will be a difficult time for social welfare is actually an important part of the effort we are working on. ”
Ian Hudspeth of the "Local Government Association" considers that "the spread of the Corona virus epidemic throughout the country will inevitably have an impact on a wide range of services provided by municipalities and on which societies depend. As always, expert advice will be followed."
"Municipal councils realize that residents will have concerns about vulnerable family and friends if this virus spreads further. But it has plans for every possible scenario, for example if a large number of key workers are infected and absent due to illness at the same time, or In the event that schools are closed, or if the government recommends unusual containment or delay measures. "
A spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Welfare said, “The UK is very well prepared for these types of outbreaks. We know that social care will be a vital part of our response to Covid-19, while care providers continue to take care of some of the most vulnerable groups in society.”
"We are working closely with the government, local authorities and service providers themselves, to ensure that the social welfare sector is ready for adults. The Public Health Authority of England has issued guidelines specifically designed for care homes and we will update them soon," he concluded.
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