‘Dangerous’ to lift self-isolation rules for care home staff in England | care workers

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Care homes have said that Covid staff should not be allowed to return to work despite an announcement this week by the Health Minister, Sajid Javid, that statutory self-isolation requirements would be lifted across England.

Barchester, one of the UK’s largest care home operators, said it would challenge any attempt to weaken staff self-isolation rules.

CEO Pete Calfley said: “I don’t care what the government says, we’ll make sure we do a risk assessment for everyone. [Lifting self-isolation] Maybe it’s suitable for the general public but not for nursing homes.”

“We must learn to live with Covid, the same way we have to live with influenza,” Javid declared Wednesday: “We are looking to replace legal requirements on self-isolation with advice and guidance.”

But with Omicron remaining highly contagious and deaths from the latest variant still on the rise, social care providers are being cautious and demanding clarification from the government.

There were 194 Covid deaths reported to care homes in England in the week ending January 14, up from 133 in the previous week and the highest since the start of March 2021 when Delta’s devastating wave of social care ebbed.

“I can’t see it changing for us for some time. It’s still dangerous. I think there will be face masks and PPE in care homes for several more months,” said Mike Badgham, who runs nursing homes in Yorkshire and is president of the independent care group. What I can see coming is more visitors than three [that are currently allowed]. “

While lifting self-isolation could help mitigate the acute social care employment crisis, which is being exacerbated by Covid infection among workers, care operators have a duty to keep residents safe, and they also fear risks that may violate their insurance terms.

The National Care Forum, which represents not-for-profit care homes, estimates that its members work with only two-thirds of the staff they need when job vacancies are added to sick absence. The Care Quality Commission regulator said this week that vacancy rates have nearly doubled since April and now stand at 11% in England.

“We will test people on the fifth and sixth day, and if it’s negative, they can go back to work. If not, they can’t,” said Calvely, who oversees 250 nursing homes.

Barchester said more analysis of Omicron’s deaths in care homes is needed before it scraps the requirement for employees to self-isolate, but that this may be possible in the future.

Nadra Ahmed, chief executive of the National Care Association, which represents independent care operators, said lifting self-isolation advice for care staff could leave operators vulnerable to disease if it infects residents.

“How does this affect infection, especially with Omicron, which is highly contagious and more widespread?” She said. “Shall we say we’re in a caring environment now that we don’t worry about infection?”

On Thursday, the Department of Health and Social Care was unable to clarify what the plan to lift the self-isolation requirement for care workers means.

Vic Rayner, Executive Director of the National Care Forum, said: “We need to understand what the stages are to go from where we are now, with isolation and funding to support isolated staff, to what appears to be a move towards a discretionary position. The government needs to be clear up front about what it will mean This is for those who work in the field of health and care, and not to leave it until the last moments to determine my work situation.”

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