Issue 90 12.01.22
The weekly online newsletter for the care sector
Care homes on “war footing” due to Covid CARE homes in Wales are on a “war footing” because of desperate staff shortages caused by the skyrocketing Covid infection rate. According to Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales, the sector is facing its worst ever crisis with reports that 75 per cent of staff were off work in some homes, either because they had contracted coronavirus or they were selfisolating. The situation is so bad that as a last resort homes were introducing “firebreaks” to temporarily restrict visiting as the highly infectious Omicron variant tore across Wales. Domiciliary care companies were also struggling badly and were often unable to provide the usual level of care. Mario warned that the situation was only going to get worse before things got better. So much so, that some care homes were likely to be forced to declare an NHS-style “critical incident” because they were unable to cope. But he feared reinforcements might not be available because statutory organisations like local health boards and councils were also short of staff. Mario added: “The scale of the challenge is one we have never faced before. It’s really, really tough out there. “The First Minister reminded us in 2020 that the social care
sector was in a fragile state before the pandemic because of its precarious finances and the shortage of staff. “After two years of this, the pressures have been building up and now we’re facing a completely different challenge because the Omicron strain of Covid is so prevalent and so transmissible. “As a result, we’re seeing problems we’ve not encountered before. “Care Forum Wales members have been reporting being down by up to 75 per cent in terms of staffing shifts. We’re on a war footing. “The social care workforce has been heroic right through this pandemic. It’s taken a pandemic for people to realise how essential these workers are – just in the same way as the NHS and other services. “They are rising to the challenge but it’s incredibly difficult and it’s probably going to get much worse before it gets better. “It’s quite possible that some care homes will have to call on the statutory services. There are plans in place and we have been working with Welsh Government and our colleagues in health boards and local government. “We may have to declare what the NHS would call a critical incident and in that case the only place you can go is the statutory agencies.”
New Care is to create approximately 800 new jobs in multiple disciplines across the North of England in the coming 12-24 months. The care home provider is continuing to expand at pace, having recently opened its ninth facility. New Care will open a further three new care homes in Adel, Wilmslow and Lymm in the near future, and a further four facilities are also under construction with practical completion dates planned throughout 2023 and January 2024. With approximately 810 employees currently, the 800 new jobs over the course of the next two years will see New Care double in size. The operator will be recruiting a wide range of individuals covering care, hospitality, housekeeping, maintenance and wellbeing.
Home to help free up hospital beds ONE of Preston’s newest care homes has won a contract which is helping to free up acute beds in hospital this winter. Ribble Court Care Home in Much Hoole, near Preston, has won a short-term contract with the Clinical Commissioning Group. The CCG has block-booked seven beds in the care home to help relieve pressures on the NHS. Jen Roberts, nominated individual for Ribble Court, said: “We are delighted to be working with the CCG. At this time of year hospitals are under a lot of pressure to discharge people to free up an acute bed. “We are offering a set number of rooms in our care home to people who are medically fit for discharge from hospital but who still need physiotherapy, domiciliary care or an assessment. “It means they can continue to get the
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wrap around service they require but, with us, in a more homely type environment. It also frees up a number of much needed acute hospital beds.” Ribble Court was recently rated ‘Good’ in its first official CQC inspection. It is the highest accolade a new care home can receive. Staff were praised for being ‘kind and caring’ and for treating residents with ‘dignity and respect’. The care was described as ‘high quality care’ from ‘a consistent team of staff who know residents well’. The home also won praise for its Covid and infection prevention training and procedures and it was noted that robust system are in place in the home for regular testing for people using the service, staff and visitors. All staff have complied with the NHS vaccination programme.