Calls resisted for a probe into how care homes were managed during first wave of pandemic

Durham County Council has previously denied claims it attempted to force care facilities to accept possible COVID-19 patients as a condition of extra funding.

But with Durham’s hospitals currently treating more people for the disease than they did at the first infection peak, health chiefs have been urged to learn its lessons.

“I’m deeply disappointed with the report we have not got,” said Liberal Democrat opposition county councillor Owen Temple.

“I called for a report on adult social care, I asked for a dedicated approach to how social care has fared in the first six months of this year (2020/21).

“We’re not achieving here what has been achieved in Scotland, where there has been a report into hospital discharges and deaths.”

Cllr Temple was speaking at a meeting of the council’s Adults, Wellbeing and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

A survey of Scotland’s hospital to care home discharges was published last month (October 28), which found the size of a care home was the biggest single factor in whether it suffered a coronavirus outbreak, with the largest more likely to be affected than smaller ones.

More than 400 COVID-related deaths in County Durham care homes were registered between March and June.

In October, ministers told English local authorities to begin identifying ‘designated settings’ deemed safe for hospital patients to be discharged to.

But calls for a review were dismissed by the panel’s chairman, Cllr John Robinson, who claimed it would be ‘wrong’ to hold a review in the county before a national investigation could look at England as a whole.

He said: “This is a national issue, which needs to be looked at on a national basis, not just in isolation here in County Durham.

“I think we should also look at hospital deaths, I believe every death, no matter where it is, should be looked at by the government nationally.

“Once we have that I will stand with [Cllr Temple] and look at things from a national perspective, but until I know what has happened from a national perspective I think that would be unfair.”

You can subscribe to this website and enjoy unlimited access to local news, information and puzzles online. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. SImply click ‘Subscribe’ in the menu.