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Written question asked by Lord Pendry (Labour) on Wednesday, 17 June 2020, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 1 July 2020. It was answered by Lord Bethell (Conservative) on Monday, 6 July 2020 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Care Homes: Protective Clothing

Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on 7 June that the targets for testing patients for COVID-19 in care homes and supplying staff with personal protective equipment in such homes have been met, what plans they have to supply such equipment to close family members of residents of those homes; and what assessment they have made of the impact such provision could have on the morale of (1) residents, and (2) their families.

Answer

The Government has stepped in to support the supply and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the care sector. We have focused on ensuring there is an emergency supply in place, whilst building a longer-term solution for distribution to the sector.  There are no plans to provide PPE for the family of care home residents. We continually keep our guidance under review.

We are aware that limiting visits in care homes is difficult for many families and residents who want to see their loved ones. We are working with the National Health Service and Public Health England, service users, academics and the voluntary sector to gather evidence and assess the potential longer-term impacts of COVID-19 on mental health and loneliness.

We are reviewing our policy on visitors and are looking to update our guidance shortly.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL5876
Session
2019-21
Subjects
Care homes Disease control Protective clothing Coronavirus
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk