As the public inquiry into the UK’s response to Covid-19 continues, new research led by Northumbria University academics shines a light on the impact of moving patients from hospitals to care homes in England during the pandemic.
Traumatised and distressed staff felt powerless to stop the spread of Covid-19 as it tore through care homes, leaving dehumanised residents feeling ‘imprisoned’ and some facing death in isolation, according to the research.
During the first peak of the coronavirus pandemic – between March and June 2020 – more than 66,000 people died in care homes, with a third of those deaths attributed to Covid-19.
Emotive personal testimonies about the early impact of the pandemic on the care home sector and its residents are at the centre of research spearheaded by Northumbria University academics, working with colleagues from Plymouth Marjon, Birmingham and Newcastle Universities.
