Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock Defends Handling of COVID-19 Pandemic in Care Homes

UK Covid-19 Inquiry has heard that over 43,000 deaths involving the virus occurred in care homes between March 2020 and July 2022, with a civil servant describing the toll as a "generational slaughter within care homes". Former health secretary Matt Hancock, who resigned in 2021, testified that his department had tried to throw a "protective ring" around care homes but acknowledged that the policy of discharging patients from hospital into care homes without proper testing was an "incredibly contentious issue". He stated that there were no good options at the time and that the decision was driven by then-NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens.

Key Takeaways:

• Over 43,000 deaths involving the virus occurred in care homes between March 2020 and July 2022, according to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
• Former health secretary Matt Hancock testified that his department had tried to throw a "protective ring" around care homes but acknowledged that the policy was not effective.
• The policy of discharging patients from hospital into care homes without proper testing was an "incredibly contentious issue" and led to a "generational slaughter within care homes."
• Mr. Hancock stated that there were no good options at the time and that the decision was driven by then-NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens.
• He acknowledged that not advising care homes to isolate returning residents without symptoms was a "mistake," but it was in line with clinical guidance at the time.
• Mr. Hancock said he had taken responsibility for the policy as then-health secretary, despite not making the decision himself.
• He suggested a series of recommendations to improve the situation, including having isolation facilities in care homes and ensuring a stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• The inquiry heard that former prime minister Boris Johnson and then-NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens were not expected to be called in this module of the inquiry, despite their roles in shaping the pandemic response.

Statistics:

• 43,000 deaths involving the virus occurred in care homes between March 2020 and July 2022 (Source: UK Covid-19 Inquiry).
• The policy of discharging patients from hospital into care homes without proper testing led to a significant increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths in care homes (Source: UK Covid-19 Inquiry).
• In 2022, the High Court ruled that government policies on discharging hospital patients into care homes at the start of the pandemic were "unlawful" (Source: High Court).

Sources:

• UK Covid-19 Inquiry
• High Court
• Covid Memorial Wall in central London remembers those who died in the pandemic (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
• PA Wire (images of Matt Hancock and the Covid Memorial Wall)