Recommendation 11

We remained concerned that the Department had continued its policy of discharging people untested into care homes even once it was clear there was an emerging problem.26 The number of first-time outbreaks in individual care homes peaked at 1,009 in early April. Between 9 March and 17 May, around 5,900 care homes, equivalent to 38% of care homes across England, reported at least one outbreak of the disease.27 The Department defended the decisions it took as rational based on the information it had at the time and stated its belief that the clearest correlations between social care outbreaks and other issues related to staff with the disease rather than patients discharged from hospital. However, it also acknowledged “that is not the same as saying that we would do the same again”.28 19 Q13 20 C&AG’s Report, paras 3.19–3.20 21 RSC0001 Care England submission 22 Qq 21–22 23 Q 16 24 Qq 14, 16–18 25 Qq 20, 84 26 Qq 19, 21–23 27 C&AG’s Report, para 3.15 28 Qq 23, 43 12 Readying the NHS and social care for the COVID-19 peak Delays to reforming adult social care