As the pandemic continues the Government’s changes to guidance also develops. There has been specific focus on how people in care settings will be treated when there is a case of COVID-19 and Nadra Ahmed, the Chair of the National Care Association, has highlighted the difficulty that some providers will face in effectively isolating some residents within their homes.
Some providers will lack the ability to effectively isolate patients for logistical reasons, e.g. the size, layout or possibly even the skills and experiences of staff within each Home. In these situations providers should think very carefully about an admission into the home and remember that people that are discharged from hospital with a confirmed case or indeed without a negative test, do not necessarily have to be admitted. The provider’s duty is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all service users and discretion should be applied on a local level as to the capability of effectively managing a service user with a positive test result or no test result at all.
