Review shows how care homes were given support

The review sets out steps taken by HSC to manage the impact of the pandemic on the sector during a rapidly developing and ‘extremely challenging’ situation for the health and care sector due to the lack of information on the new virus. The information is from HSC records only.

Underlining the importance of HSC’s work, the review notes that 42% of the positive cases for Covid-19 were found in care home staff or residents as at 14 May.

‘It is important that a review is held into the Bailiwick’s response to this pandemic, covering a range of specific areas, however it would be premature to begin such a review now, as the response to the crisis is still ongoing.

‘However data and feedback from a wide range of areas is monitored on an ongoing basis to inform the response, politically and operationally,’ said the review.

‘It should also be noted that the situation with regard to Covid-19 was extremely challenging for everyone in the health and care sector due to the lack of information on this new coronavirus. The situation was a rapidly developing one which required daily assessments of risk to inform decision making.’

A ‘very high level’ timeline of HSC’s support for residential and nursing homes, running from the start of March until 14 May, charts the real impact of the pandemic on residents and carers.

On 3 March, Covid-19 guidance for all health and care professionals produced by Public Health – including PPE advice – was sent to all care homes.

The private care home sector carried out their own Covid-19 risk assessments, including whether to close to visitors.

The first case of Covid-19 on-island was identified on 9 March, with specific guidance for islanders over 65 or with underlying medical conditions published by Public Health online.

On 16 March, all care homes were phoned – ‘all reported no issues and asked to be kept updated’.

The review states that all care homes were contacted on 23 March: ‘All reported no issues (continued calling regularly – ongoing)’. The following day lockdown was announced.

The entry for 28 March states that three residents were identified with respiratory symptoms in one care home, with a GP assessing immediately, and one patient admitted to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital. The care home is not named.

The same day PPE was provided to the home by HSC with ongoing daily provision. HSC registered nurses were deployed there on 29 March during the afternoon and overnight.

All residents and staff were swabbed in the affected home and tested on-island on 30 March.

Guernsey suffered its first on-island Covid 19 death, from a care home, in the PEH that day.

A care home sub-cell group was formed on the same day to ‘support challenges faced in care homes’ and engaged in regular contact

with them – initially meeting daily then three times a week from 22 April.

The review shows a picture of increasing support from HSC for the care sector, including expert personnel deployed, training and advice, alongside residents being monitored closely.

The timeline also notes for 8 April: ‘Visitors to care homes and the hospital to cease.’