Coronavirus: Social care ‘cannot be kicked into the long grass’, Hancock warned as nursing homes make up almost half of deaths

Government urged to provide care workers with mental health support amid trauma of pandemic

The issue of social care cannot “be kicked into the long grass any longer”, the health secretary has been warned as the Labour party calls for more support for both professional and unpaid carers struggling through the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 13,000 people have died from Covid-19 in care homes across England during the course of the pandemic – making up 45 per cent of the nation’s overall fatalities while putting strain on a fragmented and cash strapped care system.

Now with a Social Care Taskforce set to advise the government on how the sector can emerge from the Covid-19 crisis, shadow social care minister Liz Kendall has told the health secretary the wellbeing of care staff must be a priority for the future.

And, while urging support for those paid to look after elderly and disabled people across the country, she added the government must make sure its taskforce considers the millions left to care for family members across the country.

“Prior to the pandemic, there were 9 million unpaid family carers in the UK”, she wrote in a letter to the minister seen by The Independent. “Many already felt pushed to breaking point, even before the virus struck, seeing their own health and finances suffer because of their caring responsibilities.

“Since the outbreak, 70 per cent of carers say they are providing even more care than normal: an average of 10 extra hours a week.”

Ms Kendall added: “Action must be taken to ensure unpaid carers get the support they need during Coronavirus and beyond”.

The government has long insisted it has placed a “protective ring” off support around care homes as the epidemic raged through the sector – with Mr Hancock telling the commons last month: “From the start, we have worked hard to protect those in social care.”

However a slow response to the needs in the sector – particularly on testing and PPE - and a string of policy failures including the release of patients from hospitals back into care without testing has seen the government accused of failing those most vulnerable to the virus.

In a call for provisions to resolve long-standing issues in social care and keep homes for those in need afloat, the party also urged social care staff be ensured access to mental health provisions to help workers process traumatic situations experienced during the pandemic.

And along with rapid regular testing for care home workers, Ms Kendal said it was vital testing and PPE established for families to visit their loved ones in home and alleviate the mental anguish of loneliness and separation caused by lockdown.

Saying the government’s response to social care has lacked “the priority, focus and attention” given to the NHS, she added: “Many frontline care workers have been through extremely stressful and sometimes traumatic situations as a result of Covid-19.

“The need to provide additional mental health support to NHS staff has rightly been recognised; the same must also be available for those working in social care.”

Earlier this month Mr Hancock said proposals to change the struggling care sector were likely to be pushed back by the virus – despite Boris Johnson having initially promised plans by the end of the year.

Speaking at the daily downing street briefing, Mr Hancock said: “The time frame has been clear, which is that we have got to get these reforms done in this parliament and the prime minister has previously said we will get them set out this year.

“That was before coronavirus – we will still try to do that but it is not straightforward.”

However Ms Kendall, who has warned the government has not provided enough funding to see the sector through the coronavirus crisis, said reforming social care needs to be an urgent priority.

“This issue cannot be kicked into the long grass any longer and should be an integral part of the country’s overall recovery strategy” she wrote. “I hope a plan for the future funding and provision of social care will be published by the Government by the end of the year”