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For some years, CCFTV has been publicly stating that during the pandemic, the former Health Secretary and his cabinet colleagues elected to prioritise the availability of NHS beds at any cost. We have consistently reiterated that cost was the demise of older people living in care homes. It was obvious to us, the families we represented and many care home staff, that at the commencement of the pandemic, the much touted 'ring of steel' placed around the vulnerable care home community, was a lie. Instead care homes had been urged to admit older people from hospital, despite having no Covid test. Without doubt, a number of those transferring patients were Covid positive and introduced coronavirus to many more older people living at those care facilities. Many residents subsequently died because of the direct wilful negligence of Mr Hancock and his ministerial colleagues. Ref :- https://www.carehomeprofessional.com/guest-column-care-home-residents-died-because-of-matt-hancocks-willful-negligence/

The Telegraphs recent WhatsApp disclosures simply confirm what many of us working in the care sector already knew. The choice that was made as usual attributed no real value to this vulnerable cohort of people. Indeed Mr Hancocks messaging discourse at times is incredibly flippant and impersonal. He and colleagues express little by way of concern for any particular group and instead appear to enjoy the process in complete ignorance of the carnage they had created when unleashing the virus on the care home sector.

We have been campaigning for transparency across the care sector for very many years. We have pressed Government, the Regulator and care providers to mandate the use of independently monitored CCTV systems in care homes to ensure families could always have some evidence as to the welfare of their loved ones. As usual those calls were ignored, meaning that evidence of just how devastating the pandemic effected residents individually, was lost forever. Many died alone, in questionable circumstances, with no more than an occasional FaceTime call with loved ones, or if lucky with a family face pressed to a bedroom window.

They died with no comforting family touch or hug, no one to sit with them during their darkest days and possibly wondering if they had been entirely abandoned.

As many homes also suffered from staff shortages, residents spent long periods alone.

Many appeared at windows with injuries, significant weight loss, increased confusion and often very distressed. It is Mr Hancock and other ministers that should be held to account these failures and for their cavalier approach to the care sector.

Their collective lack of respect and value for older vulnerable people was obvious and they must own the decisions that caused so many needless deaths. They not only failed to ensure an adequate level of protection was afforded to this vulnerable community, but promoted policies that they knowingly knew would materially increase the risk of spread in the care sector.

We are not shocked or indeed surprised by these messages. It is however appalling that a former Government Senior Minister can join the ‘celebrity circuit’ earning hundreds of thousands of pounds whilst he has continued to lie about his involvement in the premature deaths of so very many care sector residents over that pandemic period. As an organisation we have never had a political agenda.

Our goal has been to improve the welfare for older people living in care homes, by bringing much more transparency and openness whilst ending incidences of abuse and unexplained injury.

It would really be something if we had a Government who shared that agenda, as to opposed to countless meaningless soundbites and the lip service eulogies trotted out year in year out by those who are supposed to safeguard our vulnerable.