Homecare Association Responds to Findings of Module 1 of the UK COVID-19 Inquiry

The Homecare Association recognises the findings from Module 1 of the UK COVID-19 Inquiry. Baroness Hallett, Chair of the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, highlights significant gaps and shortcomings in the UK's preparedness for a pandemic of COVID-19's scale.

Key findings included:

• The UK was ill-prepared for a whole system civil emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic.
• There were significant flaws in the national system for civil emergencies and building preparedness.
• The UK prepared for the wrong type of pandemic, focusing on influenza rather than a coronavirus.
• There was a lack of an adequate system for test, trace, and isolate that could be rapidly scaled up.
• The UK's sole pandemic strategy from 2011 was outdated and lacked adaptability.

CEO of the Homecare Association, Dr Jane Townson OBE, commented:

"The revelations from Module 1 of the COVID-19 Inquiry come as no surprise to homecare providers.

The government's failure to plan and respond effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic had a direct effect on the homecare sector.

Homecare workers showed immense dedication and bravery during the pandemic, often at great personal cost. Whilst most other professionals worked remotely, they continued to provide care and support at home to older and disabled people.

It is our duty to honour their efforts by ensuring the lessons from this inquiry lead to tangible improvements.

The inquiry's findings highlight the need to address pre-existing health inequalities and vulnerabilities in our society, which made the UK more susceptible to the pandemic's impact. Our care workforce of low income, mainly female workers, comprising a relatively high proportion of minority ethnic groups were victims of these inequalities. We urge the government to prioritise reducing these inequalities as part of its pandemic preparedness strategy.

As we look ahead, we call on the government to implement Baroness Hallett's 10 far-reaching recommendations to reform the UK's civil emergency preparedness and resilience systems. These include simplifying bureaucracy, improving risk assessment, and creating a single, independent statutory body responsible for whole-system preparedness and response.

We look forward to the forthcoming reports from the inquiry, particularly those addressing the impact on health and care systems, the adequacy and distribution of PPE, and the economic response from all four UK governments. These will be crucial in understanding the full scope of the pandemic's impact on the homecare sector.

Successive governments neglected social care, before, during, and after the pandemic. This must change.

The Homecare Association stands ready to work with the government and other stakeholders to implement the recommendations from this inquiry swiftly and effectively."

ENDS