‘People Need People’ – Reopening Care Homes

Care providers have been calling on the government to release guidance on reopening care homes in England to allow families and loved ones of residents to be reunited. Appearing on BBC Breakfast this morning Grant Shapps MP says that the much awaited government guidance will be issued this week, almost two weeks after the promise from Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Vic Rayner, Executive Director of the National Care Forum says:

“The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care promised in early July that the government would publish guidance on reopening care homes to families and friends within a matter of days. It is now over 12 days since that announcement and the guidance has still not materialised, causing unnecessary anguish to many. As the representative body for not for profit care providers we have endeavoured to work with the government to shape the guidance, and emphasise the urgency to ensure residents are reunited with their families and loved ones. Safety is paramount, but it is also absolutely true that people need people, and as we reopen homes to visitors, we must make sure that we put in place all the measures needed for now and the future, so that we never again get into the position where families and friends are kept apart.”