Statement: Commissioner responds to UK Covid-19 Inquiry Report on the Care Sector

Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Rhian Bowen-Davies, said:

“While it will take time to consider the findings and recommendations of today’s Covid Inquiry report in detail, including the implications for policy and practice here in Wales, I wanted to share my initial response.

“The publication of the report provides an important reminder of the devastating impact the pandemic had on older people living in care homes, which resulted in thousands of individuals sadly losing their lives, as well as the ongoing pain and grief still carried by many loved ones.

“I also welcome recognition within the report of the significant impact the pandemic had on social care staff and unpaid carers, and the importance of the additional support they provided to help keep people safe and healthy – often at great personal cost.”

“The report highlights a range of unacceptable failures that ‘created environments in care settings in which the virus could spread like wildfire’, including failures to plan effectively across many areas. This resulted in a lack of Personal Protective Equipment, poor infection control, ineffective guidance, delays in enabling safe visiting, and other issues, all of which created significant risks and consequences for older people living in care homes.

“It’s also important to recognise that at the heart of many of the issues highlighted in the report are consistent failures to recognise older people’s fundamental rights and use these as a basis for decision-making.

“It is also deeply concerning that social care appears to have been an ‘afterthought’ during the pandemic, despite assurances that the particular vulnerabilities of people receiving care and support, and the critical importance of the sector overall, were being recognised and responded to in policy- and decision-making.

“As we now know, however, the reality was that the social care sector – and care homes in particular – received insufficient protection at a time when this was needed most.

“I welcome the Chair’s recommendations, which respond to many of the issues highlighted in the evidence shared with the Inquiry by my office, particularly those relating to improving end-of-life care and support, and new guidance to give greater clarity on visiting arrangements.

“I also welcome that the Chair is calling for the required actions to be delivered without delay, which would help to ensure we are better prepared to face similar issues should they arise in the future. This would also demonstrate a commitment to translating the lessons learnt during the pandemic into meaningful change and improvements, as promised when the Inquiry was announced in 2021.

“However, I would have liked to see a greater focus within the recommendations on ensuring accountability for failures or poor decisions, something which I know is a priority for many older people and their families across Wales.

“I await the formal responses from the Welsh Government, which will set out how they will respond to the report’s findings and recommendations. Should I feel there are any areas where these fall short, or where older people’s voices, experiences and rights seem not to have been sufficiently considered, I will not hesitate to raise my concerns with them.”