COVID-19 Report Impact on Care Homes in Hull

Since the end of May, Healthwatch Hull has been contacting local care homes to get their views and experiences so they understand the impact coronavirus has had on their service.

From their conversations with care homes, they identified the issues surrounding PPE and food supplies as a major concern at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic; some care homes had mentioned there has been a price increase with PPE; food issues revolved around a lack of priority for queuing and delivery slots as well as difficulty in getting the quantity needed for the residents due to restrictions; three out of four care homes informed them of COVID-19 outbreaks after having residents return untested from hospital; morale was impacted in some homes, especially in those with outbreaks; there was a feeling of “impending doom” throughout some homes due to the impact the outbreak had on both the staff and the residents; a couple of care homes mentioned the amount of information that they received from the COVID-19 Team (and other authority bodies) was overwhelming at times; some care homes had mentioned the lack of local testing had affected them and their staff as they had to travel a significant distance at first to get tested. However, the feedback regarding the overall support provided by the local authority was overwhelmingly positive.