AQO 1077/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 22/10/2020
Answered On Date: 10/11/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to ensure that care homes are prepared for a second wave of COVID-19 this winter.

Answer:

There are a number of actions and measures we are taking to support and protect care homes as Covid-19 continues to spread in the community and as infection levels in homes start to rise. These include:-

A revised surge plan for care homes, informed by the Rapid Learning Initiative, which contains 56 actions. Actions in the surge plan are being delivered by the PHA, HSCB, Trusts, Department and care homes themselves. Progress against the surge plan is being overseen by a regional Adult Social Care Surge Group, jointly chaired by the Chief Social Worker and Chief Nursing Officer;

Continuing supply of PPE, continuing access to free training through NISCC and CEC, ongoing assistance through Trust service support teams, continuing support from the RQIA and ongoing expert guidance from the PHA;

Trusts, the HSCB, PHA and Department are monitoring returns provided by care homes through the RQIA’s care home portal to identify key trends and particular homes which may need further assistance. In addition, this data is used to monitor our regional surge level for care homes;

From 3 August a rolling programme of testing commenced for all residents and staff in homes which did not have a confirmed outbreak of the virus. This involved testing all staff on a fortnightly basis and all residents on a monthly basis. My officials will continue to actively monitor and assess current and emerging science relating to Covid-19, to inform our approach to testing in care homes;

I have put in place a number of measures to provide financial support to care homes. I announced up to £6.5m in April to support care homes with additional costs and up to a further £11.7m in June to support enhanced sick pay, enhanced cleaning, and purchase of equipment. I recently announced a further package of up to £27m, in addition to previously announced support. In addition, an income guarantee to help provide homes stability remains in place;

In addition to this funding, care homes have been provided with over 48 million items of PPE, at a cost of over £16m. We also continue to connect smaller local providers with homes, so that they can purchase their own PPE.

During the first surge Trusts also provided more than 26,000 hours of free staff time to work in care homes and fill gaps in rotas. Each Trust has a dedicated care home support team in place provide advice, guidance and training to care homes to enable them to meet the care needs of residents. In addition, we have provided funding support for enhanced and additional environmental cleaning and we are considering the case to create dedicated training support for cleaning staff in care homes. Proposals are also being developed by HSC Trusts to expand their dedicated teams of infection prevention and control nurses, and this will include support for care homes.

I have recently relaunched our workforce appeal and remain clear that Trusts should consider how individuals identified through this mechanism can be placed in the independent sector – subject to all the appropriate risk assessments being in place.