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21

Oct 2020

Last Updated: 21/10/2020
Health
Health

North Yorkshire bids to be part of care home visiting pilot

by Calvin Robinson

| 21 Oct, 2020
Comment

0

The pilot scheme will allow one relative or friend of a care home resident to be treated as a key worker and therefore be entitled to visit loved ones.

care-homes2

North Yorkshire has bid to be part of a new pilot scheme that would enable care home visits.

The scheme, which was revealed by care minister Helen Whately last week, would allow one relative or friend of a care home resident to be treated as a key worker.

This would enable people to visit loved ones in homes during the winter, though no dates when this might be implemented have been revealed.

Richard Webb, director of care at North Yorkshire County Council, and Mike Padgham, chair of the Independent Care Group, have written to the government offering the county's homes to be part of the pilot.




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In a letter to Ms Whately, they said:

“The lockdown of care and nursing homes has been vital to protect residents and staff. However, it has taken its toll on residents, particularly those with dementia whose mental health and happiness has suffered as a result.
“The lockdown has also been distressing for their relatives, as in some cases it has been months since they had visited in person.
“We very much welcome the pilot and hope it is carried out quickly so that, if it is successful, we can speedily roll out the system to all care and nursing homes across the country.”


Last week Ms Whately told MPs on the health and social care committee that the government would soon pilot the proposal.

She said:

“I can't give you a date, but what I can say is we're moving forward with it and we are going to pilot it.
“Visiting is incredibly important for residents and their families and care homes. I really want us to enable visiting but it must be safe.”


Judy Bass, whose 99-year-old father lives in a Harrogate care home and who is campaigning for visits to care homes, questioned whether the project would even be possible, given the struggle to deliver testing around the country.

She told the Stray Ferret last week:

“I don’t think it’s particularly a step forward. I think it’s placatory, because they have known about this for so long. It just needs to be put in place.
“Piloting it – I don’t even know how that would operate or if it would have any effect. They just need to put it in place. Relatives need to be given key worker status and tested and allowed to visit.”


North Yorkshire care homes have restricted visits throughout October.