Social care services across the Harrogate district are still facing severe shortages of PPE despite government assurances of improvements.
From nursing homes to carers working in people’s own homes, providers say they are struggling to find basic supplies of aprons, gloves and masks, and are relying on donations from the community.
Harrogate Neighbours Housing Association (HNHA), which runs two care homes and a home care service, is among those to have spoken out about the shortages. CEO Sue Cawthray said they are following government guidance on PPE but also want to do more to limit the risks of infection, especially as they have not yet had any suspected cases.
“We’re using more PPE than normal,” she said. “Where do you draw the line?
“You’ve got somebody who goes into hospital after a fall and then comes back to us. Can we absolutely guarantee they haven’t come into contact with anybody? Of course not, so it’s self-isolation for 14 days with nursing, using separate PPE.
“We’ve got to think about staff. They feel very frightened and very vulnerable.”
Recognition for care workers
Some care providers have called for better recognition of people who have previously been termed ‘low-skilled workers’. Wendy Kneller of St Margaret’s Home Care said:
“The local authorities are doing what they can but I think going forward the Government needs to give some more recognition to care workers.
“They need better pay. I pay them well but the local authorities need to have more money to spend in the care sector. My team have been amazing throughout and not one of them has complained, they have just gotten on with the job.”
That call was echoed by Jill Quinn of Dementia Forward, which works closely with care providers to support people living with dementia.
She said: “Care homes are in a very difficult position, it’s so sad and just awful. It’s not the time to criticise because everybody is doing their best.
“When we get back to normal, maybe this will make people value the work that staff do in care homes more. These people are taking personal risks but they are still passionate and caring. It has always been a complaint of ours that they are underpaid and undervalued so maybe that will change going forward.”
National care home charity MHA has already appealed to MPs to get involved in addressing distribution issues. Last weekend, it said its home in Harrogate, Berwick Grange on Wetherby Road, had had a number of suspected cases and deaths, but testing was unavailable and staff were still desperately short of PPE.
Supplies of PPE have not been reaching social care settings reliably, putting front line workers at risk
Tom Page, of home care provider West Park Care, said: “The biggest disappointment from my perspective has been the local authorities. The council sent us some face masks but a week later they rang and said they needed half of them back because they were struggling with supplies.
“None of our clients have coronavirus symptoms, but if that changes the levels of PPE will become a problem.”
North Yorkshire County Council has spoken in recent days about its struggle to arrange PPE deliveries for the county, and to ensure all front line workers have everything they need.
The Stray Ferret asked Andrew Jones MP for a response about his role in supporting care homes with supplies, as well as an update on the scheme he launched a month ago to help vulnerable people through the crisis, but he declined to comment.
Sue Cawthray of HNHA added:
“I believe that there’s stock in the UK but it’s distributing it that’s the problem. How can we be in 2020 with this crisis and so many people around and not be able to get what we need? I just don’t understand it.”
