COVID Inquiry Exposes Devastating Impact on Care Sector
The UK COVID-19 Inquiry has released harrowing testimony revealing the profound impact of pandemic restrictions on residential and nursing homes, documenting widespread family trauma, resident isolation, and unprecedented pressure on care staff.
The latest Every Story Matters report, published as the Inquiry begins Module 6 hearings focusing specifically on the care sector, draws from over 47,000 personal accounts, making it the largest public engagement exercise ever undertaken by a UK inquiry.
The testimony reveals the devastating emotional toll on families who were separated from vulnerable relatives during lockdown restrictions. Many described the lasting trauma of believing their loved ones died feeling abandoned and alone, leading to ongoing mental health challenges for bereaved families.
One Welsh family member told the inquiry: “The family are devastated that we were not able to be with him at the end of his life. We grieve that he did not get the send-off he deserved from his loving and very close family and it breaks our hearts as we feel he was deserted at the very time he needed us.”
Care home residents, particularly those with dementia and learning disabilities, experienced significant distress when unable to understand why family visits had ceased. The inquiry heard how cognitive decline accelerated during isolation periods.
A Northern Ireland care worker described one resident’s deterioration: “Her dementia declined rapidly when lockdown happened and she’d got no family support. She just kind of lost all will. She really declined.”
Care workers faced unprecedented challenges, including severe staffing shortages that forced many to work extended hours to prevent residents from dying alone. The inquiry heard accounts of non-nursing homes being compelled to provide end-of-life care without appropriate training when healthcare professionals couldn’t visit.
One care home worker explained: “We had a gentleman who was end of life who didn’t end up in hospital because we nursed him ourselves, which, again, we’re not a nursing home. So, really, we shouldn’t be doing that.”
Staff burnout became widespread as teams covered multiple shifts while colleagues were absent due to COVID infections.
Care homes highlighted significant challenges around hospital discharges, with many forced to accept residents they didn’t know, often without accurate information about their COVID status. This created additional infection control challenges and stretched already limited resources.
The inquiry documented considerable confusion and distress around the inconsistent application of Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation notices. Some care providers reported pressure to implement blanket DNACPR policies, which they successfully resisted.
One registered manager stated firmly: “I refused when they said, ‘We’re going to give everybody a DNACPR’… My residents will make that decision for themselves.”
Limited supply and quality of personal protective equipment created additional stress for care teams. The inquiry also heard how face masks presented unexpected communication barriers, particularly problematic when caring for residents with hearing difficulties or dementia who relied on facial expressions and lip-reading.
Home care services faced their own challenges, with visit times reduced and care limited to basic needs only. Many domiciliary carers described the distress of being unable to provide the comprehensive support their clients required.
Ben Connah, Secretary to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, emphasised the importance of these testimonies in shaping future preparedness: “By documenting these deeply personal experiences, we ensure that the voices of those who suffered, cared, and grieved during the pandemic will help inform the Inquiry’s recommendations to ensure the care sector is better prepared in the future.”
The Module 6 investigation will examine government decision-making throughout the pandemic, including the controversial policy of discharging hospital patients to care homes without testing. Five weeks of public hearings are scheduled to scrutinise these decisions and their consequences.
This latest report follows previous Every Story Matters publications covering healthcare systems, vaccines and therapeutics, and test and trace programmes. Chair Baroness Hallett will use these comprehensive testimonies to develop recommendations aimed at better protecting care sector residents, staff, and families in any future health emergency.
