Boris Blames Carers.

No one is surprised any longer that Boris Johnson will lie to save himself. Even his supporters acknowledge his willingness to spread false information, and deficit of principles beyond ‘Boris-first’. Still, his latest attempt to shift the blame for the UK having the highest Covid 19 death toll in Europe onto the social care sector screams of desperation and cowardice.

Following the populist playbook, Johnson will ‘row back’ slightly from his statements in the coming days and claim to have been misrepresented given widespread criticism (Boris accuses care homes). The reality should shame him and his acolytes.

Government had clear warning of the risks of Covid 19 but did not act. In fact, they specifically suggested that it was very unlikely people in care homes would be infected: (FullFact.org). In early March, care homes closed to non-essential visitors, for the safety of their vulnerable residents and staff, whilst Government loudly insisted they should stay open – before a national lockdown days later. There was a deliberate and aggressive policy of forcing older patients from hospital into care homes, which caused unnecessary deaths. There was no clear guidance for care settings; no testing for staff, or residents unless an outbreak was already underway; guidance on PPE changed almost weekly, with no effective support in securing PPE, which was often diverted to the NHS.

Useful national guidance on PPE; isolating people leaving hospital; restricting staff to work in single homes; and more, came laughably late and merely reflected what care homes had long been doing.

Decades of under-funding, by Governments of all stripes, means care workers are dreadfully underpaid, yet they came to work to safeguard and bring colour into the lives of vulnerable citizens that needed them.

The Covid 19 pandemic was unavoidable and dangerous but what would have helped reduce the death toll was clear-headed and informed leadership. There was no such thing in the UK, and make no mistake where the blame lies for the damage done to individuals, families and society. Boris Johnson and the Government he leads failed. Care workers should be praised to the skies, not blamed by this shameless charlatan.

Mark Ward

CEO

Borough Care Ltd