Before December’s general election, Boris Johnson promised cross-party talks on the crisis in Britain’s social care system within 100 days of a new Conservative government. The self-imposed deadline expired at the weekend. In the context of the biggest public health crisis for 100 years, that’s understandable. But as the coronavirus epidemic tests to destruction the political assumptions and priorities that have shaped our society, alarm bells are once again ringing in the care sector and must not be ignored.
As Britain experiences its first week of lockdown, there are reports of some providers finding themselves unable to access adequate food supplies as a result of supermarket restrictions. Care England has expressed concern that social care employees are not being recognised as key workers by some schools, shops and supermarkets, despite clarification by the government of their status.
Huge risks are being taken by care workers in the absence of adequate protection. The health secretary, Matt Hancock, has assured parliament that all care settings should have personal protective equipment by the end of this week. That simply must happen. But it still seems unclear whether social care providers will be guaranteed the hand sanitiser, aprons and gloves they need, as well as masks.
These issues are symptomatic of a flawed system that has too often treated the social care sector as a second-class auxiliary health service, to be left to the vagaries of market forces and cash-strapped local authorities. Cross-party talks can wait. But this mindset must change immediately.
Given the clear evidence of Covid-19’s lethal impact on the elderly, it is fair to say that, along with hospitals, care homes are the most vulnerable institutions in Britain. There are over 11,000 in Britain. Most are small and run by independent providers. The rest are operated by the big care groups and local authorities. The valiant, poorly paid staff who work in them face a potential perfect storm in the coming weeks.
Appalling remuneration for a stressful job – one that requires considerable social and technical skills – has contributed to a recruitment crisis in the sector. That has now been compounded by staff absences, due to a lack of any Covid-19 testing equipment. As in our hospitals, this has led to nurses and other workers self-isolating when that might not have been necessary.
Public Health England on Wednesday suggested that mass testing for key workers could soon be possible. That, clearly, would be a gamechanger. It is imperative that care homes are provided with priority access as staff attempt to control perilous closed environments. The evidence is already in from countries such as Spain that transmission in residential homes can be swift and deadly.
Carers are currently working in the dark as to which care home residents or clients may have contracted coronavirus. The CEO of one charity, which runs 200 care homes, said this week that there have been deaths where the disease was suspected, but that there was no way of confirming the outbreak.
As a staffing crisis looms and more carers fall ill, a drive similar to the “NHS needs you” campaign, launched by the government last week, may soon be needed to persuade former carers to return to work. To make this a success , the challenges and requirements of the sector need a higher political profile, more public awareness and greater backing.
Inadequately funded, undervalued and still not properly integrated into Britain’s health services, social care has endured a Cinderella status for too long. That scandal cannot be allowed to lead to tragedy during this national crisis. Whether working in care homes or visiting vulnerable people and helping them maintain their independence, social care workers are truly unsung heroes. In an epidemic which seeks out and targets the elderly, they are on the frontline of resistance. There must be a focus on their needs that is commensurate with the responsibilities they carry.
