UK government failures led to Covid spreading ‘like wildfire’ in care homes, inquiry finds
Inquiry chair says failure to advise care homes to isolate people discharged from hospital was ‘significant oversight’
AI Summary
A public inquiry found that UK government failures allowed Covid-19 to spread rapidly in care homes, which were treated as an "afterthought" during the pandemic. The inquiry chair, Heather Hallett, highlighted the significant oversight in not advising that hospital patients discharged to care homes should be isolated, contributing to the high death toll of over 43,000 residents. Additionally, the ban on visits caused severe emotional distress for residents and their families, compounding the tragedy of the crisis.