Over 90 care home operators in England declare red alert over staff shortages

More than 11,000 care home workers are currently off work due to COVID-19-related reasons, according to data seen by The Guardian.

Across England 9.5% of care home staff are off work, with close to 3% absent due to having COVID-19. This mounts the pressure on the already over-stretched NHS, which is experiencing backlogs due to rules regarding situations where care homes with COVID-19 outbreaks cannot discharge patients.

One of the UK’s largest private operators, Barchester, is currently tackling outbreaks of COVID-19 in 105 of its 250 homes. At one Barchester home in Shrewsbury, 17 staff are off work and 22 residents have tested positive.

In order to combat rising staff shortages, Health Secretary Sajid Javid has sought to establish a “volunteer army” of care workers to take shifts and reduce the burden.

Vic Rayner, chief executive of the National Care Forum, warned: “The spread of Omicron across the country will bring more care homes into outbreak, put huge pressure on the already compromised staff group and mean those who need care do not get it.”

Despite this, the COVID-19 outbreaks are not appearing to cause widespread serious illness and death among residents. Pete Calveley, chief executive of Barchester, said many residents “have only minor or cold-like symptoms”.

Many care home operators have urged for restrictions to return, to help curb the spread of COVID-19 within care homes and to reduce the pressure on existing staff. 
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson has said: “Protecting care staff, and people who use social care services, continues to be a priority, especially as cases surge and Omicron spreads rapidly across the country.”