Coronavirus: Call for more testing of care home residents

Council leaders have raised concerns about a lack of testing in care homes at the start of the pandemic.

One leader has called for care home residents discharged from hospitals to be tested twice for Covid-19 "because you can have a false negative".

Andrew Morgan, leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council, said early in the outbreak he "put pressure" on officials not to send patients to homes without a test.

BBC Wales has asked Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board for a response.

The Welsh Government said no patient would be sent to a care home unless they had a negative test, and the policy was based on the "latest scientific advice".

The Older People's Commissioner for Wales has called for the Welsh Government to be investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission over fears older people's rights could have been breached because of the delay in testing.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething has said he "didn't recognise" a breach and said testing policy was based on scientific advice.

Care Forum Wales, which represents more than 450 care providers, told a BBC Wales Investigates programme that of the 38 care homes who responded to their survey, 16 said they had felt pressurised into taking patients who were either Covid-19 positive or untested.

Andrew Morgan is the leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council and the Welsh Local Government Association

Speaking on the BBC's Politics Wales programme, Mr Morgan said there were similar issues in Rhondda Cynon Taf where he is the Labour leader of the council.

"Before we actually went in to the lockdown, when there was a real rush to make sure hospitals had capacity, for the initial first few weeks, my understanding is... there was limited testing.

"But very quickly, when we started to see a few outbreaks in residential homes in my county, we absolutely took the line, and I know other colleagues did the same, to say to the health boards we will not be prepared to accept clients coming out of hospital unless they are tested."

Mr Morgan said he plans to raise the idea of double testing discharged care home residents with the health minister.

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Mr Morgan said it might be necessary because "you could be tested today, show no symptoms, have a clear test, be discharged into a care setting and have symptoms tomorrow".

Since lockdown began, 27% of the coronavirus deaths in Wales have been care home residents, according to the Office for National Statistics.

This figure does not include those care home residents who died after being transferred to hospital.

On Saturday 16 May, the Welsh Government announced coronavirus testing would be extended to all care home residents and staff in Wales.

Initially, it had opted to test only individuals with symptoms, and then increased testing to larger homes with no signs of the virus.

Mr Gething said changes resulted from "emerging evidence and scientific advice".

Conwy council Conservative leader Sam Rowlands told BBC Politics Wales "it was a shame to see such a delay" in testing all care home staff and residents.

"It means all those really hard working staff on site in those care homes are basically working with both arms behind their back when they can't get access to the testing that they need.

"And I think it also smacks of the lack of value being placed in those staff and possibly those residents as well.

"And I, like many leaders of councils across Wales, were crying out for this mass testing to take place sooner rather than later."

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Mr Rowlands said blanket care home testing had started.

"It'll take a bit of time for them to get through them all and it is helping and it is highlighting the issues around asymptomatic cases as well," he said.

"So, it's clear this testing should've taken place earlier because it would've protected more people," he added.

Ceredigion council Plaid Cymru leader Ellen ap Gwynn told the programme there was "still a delay" with testing and that "there has been a dire lack of testing facility over time".

All three council leaders said they believe care home residents and staff will be tested every fortnight.

Mary Wimbury said the testing policy "has not yet turned into reality"

Mary Wimbury, chief executive of Care Forum Wales, said she wanted to see all care home residents and staff tested "at least weekly".

"While the policy has now changed so that all care home residents and staff will be tested, that policy has not yet turned into reality and ensuring that that takes place must be the next priority," she said.

A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We require health boards to test all individuals being discharged from hospital to a step down or care home setting regardless of whether or not they were admitted to hospital with Covid-19 so that their Covid-19 status is known on discharge.

"People will not be admitted to a care home without a negative test. We will continue to keep our policy under review to ensure we respond if and when new evidence emerges."

On the question of testing care home staff and residents on a weekly basis, the spokesman said: "The frequency of retesting care homes with no cases of coronavirus will be determined based on risk, for example whether there is community transmission in the area."