Government challenged to say what assessment it has made of the decision for inspectors from the Care Quality Commission to be permitted to visit care homes without having undergone a COVID-19 test; and to say what evidence they have that this does not pose a risk to the residents of those homes
Lord Bethell, the Department of Health and Social Care, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL8798):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the decision for inspectors from the Care Quality Commission to be permitted to visit care homes without having undergone a COVID-19 test; and what evidence they have that this does not pose a risk to the residents of those homes. (HL8798)
Tabled on: 06 October 2020
Answer:
Lord Bethell:
Our first priority continues to be to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in care homes and prevent future outbreaks, and to ensure the health and safety of both care workers and residents. To help reduce the risk of transmission, we have provided the Care Quality Commission (CQC) with test kits so CQC inspectors can undertake weekly polymerase chain reaction asymptomatic testing.
Regular testing will help identify positive cases in the CQC’s inspectors without symptoms and enable action to be taken to limit the spread of the virus, supporting the CQC to continue their vital work in ensuring services meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. As with all testing policies, this remains under review.
Date and time of answer: 19 Feb 2021 at 12:31.
