Care Homes: Visits

(asked on 2nd November 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to support care homes to enable them to offer safe visits to family carers.


Answered by
Helen Whately Portrait
Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 18th January 2021

Throughout the pandemic we have sought to ensure care home residents have been able to receive visits where it has been possible to do so safely. We have also acted quickly to protect vulnerable residents where it has been necessary, while still ensuring that visiting could continue to take place in some form.

We have regularly revised our guidance and have worked closely with the care home provider sector, public health professionals and others to support the effective implementation of the guidance. We have also supported care homes with the rollout of rapid lateral flow testing and personal protective equipment throughout December 2020 to enable more meaningful visits in tiers 1-3.

Unfortunately, in response to the new variant and rising population infection rates, it has been necessary from 6 January 2021 to enter a further period of national restrictions. We have again updated our guidance to make clear that visits to care homes can still take place with arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods, or behind windows. Close-contact indoor visits are not allowed.

No visits, other than exceptional circumstances such as end of life, will be permitted in the event of an outbreak. This is due to the increased prevalence of COVID-19 in communities and the consequent risk to care home residents.

Recognising the importance of visiting for the wellbeing of residents and those who visit them we will work to enable more visiting in care homes as soon as it is safe to do so.

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