Responding to the Covid-19 Inquiry Module 6 report, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger, said:
“This report provides a damning assessment of how social care was so badly failed. The sector entered the pandemic already on its knees from sustained underfunding, while nursing shortages were deep and widespread. The situation was compounded by a failure to recognise the reality of how infection was spreading and then to supply appropriate PPE. This made a dangerous situation fatal, allowing COVID to rip through services and an already depleted staff. As the inquiry makes clear, these were preventable failures.
“Nursing staff in social care were the 24/7 presence, many giving up their family lives to keep people safe and be with those who would otherwise die alone. Vulnerable people, their families and staff were left to make sense of visiting restrictions which caused so much heartbreak. Ultimately, the scale of death was unprecedented and left significant numbers of staff exhibiting PTSD. So many paid the ultimate price and must never be forgotten, nor should this be allowed to happen again.
“The discharge policy demonstrated how vulnerable people and staff in social care were considered second class citizens. Our profession raised concerns from the outset, with care homes lacking the staff, or safe capacity to absorb more people at the speed ordered. Demands for specific guidance on transmission went unheard. While nursing staff faced huge risk, at the heart of government and within key agencies there was a palpable lack of understanding as to how the sector operated. That cost lives.
“Today, adult social care still faces significant challenges. Nursing workforce shortages are just as chronic as before, with poor pay, terms and conditions the norm. The recommendation to better integrate adult social care into pandemic planning must begin now, but we need joined up thinking across government to also make the sector a more attractive place to work, with a fully-funded action plan to boost workforce numbers. A voluntary register for care workers can help build a better picture of the state of the un-registered workforce, support training, development and emergency response preparation.
“The clearest sign the sector would fail the test of another pandemic is in the thousands unable to be discharged from hospitals every day. The legacy of this inquiry must be that we are better prepared, with new investment in workforce and services coming now, not when it’s too late.”
Ends
