In the U.K., government mistakes have led to the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes

In the United Kingdom, the results of an investigation into the government’s response during the COVID-19 pandemic have been released. The commission concluded that mistakes made by the authorities contributed to the rapid spread of the virus in nursing homes. At the same time, residents and staff at these facilities did not receive the protection they were promised.

According to the investigation’s findings, at the start of the pandemic, British authorities focused primarily on protecting the National Health Service (NHS), while social care facilities were effectively left without adequate support.

Gallott also refuted statements by former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who claimed that the government had created a “protective ring” around nursing homes from the very beginning of the pandemic. She called these claims unfounded.

“Nursing homes did not receive adequate protection precisely when they needed it most. These mistakes created conditions under which the virus could spread like a wildfire,” Gallett stated.

One of the main problems was the transfer of patients from hospitals to care facilities without mandatory testing for the virus. By April 15, 2020, approximately 25,000 people had been transferred in this manner to free up hospital beds.

At the same time, the government did not provide facilities with guidelines on isolating newly arrived patients. According to the commission, this contributed to the rapid spread of the infection among residents and staff.

During hearings in July 2025, Hancock himself took responsibility for this decision, calling it “the least bad of all possible options in a terrible situation.” Subsequently, a court ruled that the patient transfer policy was unlawful.

The investigation also revealed a severe shortage of personal protective equipment. Nursing home staff were forced to use painter’s coveralls, raincoats, and gloves from hardware stores. Some made their own protective clothing out of trash bags and bed linens.

Separately, the commission criticized the ban on visits to care facilities. Due to quarantine restrictions, residents found themselves in isolation, and many families were unable to say goodbye to their loved ones before they died.

“The most painful thing is that some people were not allowed to be with their dying relatives. Many are still tormented by a sense of guilt they do not deserve at all,” Gallett noted.

According to her, the pandemic also had severe psychological consequences for staff. Care facility workers faced an unprecedented number of deaths, leading to post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal thoughts. According to the investigation, several staff members took their own lives.

From March 2020 to July 2022, more than 43,000 people died from COVID-19 in British nursing homes.

Representatives of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, an organization that brings together the families of the deceased, called Hancock’s statements about protecting care facilities “cruel lies.”

“The government knew that the care sector was extremely vulnerable to the pandemic, but did nothing until it was too late,” said Jean Adamson, a representative of the organization whose father died of COVID-19 in a nursing home.

She added that the families of the deceased consider some of the commission’s recommendations insufficiently robust and will insist on their strengthening.

In its report, the commission presented eight key recommendations, including improving preparedness for future pandemics, providing financial support to workers in self-isolation, and revising visitation policies at care facilities.

In particular, the commission proposes guaranteeing residents the right to in-person visits with loved ones, except under exceptional circumstances. It also recommends introducing mandatory training for healthcare and social workers on end-of-life care, including the rules for making decisions regarding the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that the government will take the investigation’s findings into account as it prepares for possible future pandemics.

Source: The Guardian.

The investigation revealed failures in the protection of care homes in the UK.

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