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Published on: 31/07/2020 09:05 AMReported by: roving-eye
Email sent to Qlocal this morning...
I am Jonathan Cunningham Registered Care Manager over Birkdale Park Nursing Home and Rosebank Care Home for Learning Disabilities in Southport, Merseyside. We have been on the front line of the fight again the Coronavirus from the start. We have dealt with COVID within our homes and continue with the fight. I am the founder of the Care Managers’ Inner Circle with 3000 UK members and have broadcast on facebook Live every night consistently, providing guidance and reassurance to our 3k care home managers since the start of the pandemic. I am also the Chair of the North and South Sefton Care Home Group representing 132 care homes across Merseyside. Some care homes in Merseyside have been decimated by this virus some loosing <45%+ of their residents.
Press Release - Care Home ‘Relocks’ its Doors to Visitors in Face of Second Wave and No Swabbing Available
The BBC Panorama Programme ‘The Forgotten Frontline’ viewed last night was deeply distressing. For those in social care it came as no surprise, those tear filled eyes of staff represented the views, feelings and emotions of every one of us in social care who has experienced the trauma and distress of enduring the pandemic from inside our care homes. This has been an unseen fight more brutal, more traumatic than anyone can imagine. I have seen broken, terrified staff put on their uniforms day after day to care for the residents they love. No fanfare, no fuss, just immense courage in the face of an unknown merciless enemy. Several weeks ago in a huge fanfare of glory the Government announced that the all staff and residents would be swabbed on a regular basis. We were delighted. A week after this announcement the 200 kits I had fought for several months for my residents and staff were withdrawn. I remain waiting for more swabs and for my learning disabilities home the ordering portal still informs me I’m not permitted to order any tests. The mismanagement of this crisis is shocking. As an Ex-Army Major with operational experience in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Bosnia, I know how the Forces would have planned, executed and managed this crisis. It wouldn’t have been like this. To be clear and contrary to Mr Hancock’s assertions there was and remains no ‘protective ring’ around our social care homes. We were the sacrificial lamb thrown to wolves to protect our NHS.
Today, in the face of a suspected second wave of COVID virus sweeping the Greater Manchester area, Birkdale Park is relocking our doors. No more visiting permitted. We have no swabs to inform us nor available for us to navigate our way safely out of this crisis. The situation remains totally unacceptable and I am appalled by the lack of candour and honesty from the Government and Mr Hancock. In the face of the second wave I have now stopped all visiting to protect Birkdale Park and Rosebank residents. Once again I await our swabs that have been promised over 4 weeks again!
Email sent to all our relatives this morning:
Dear BP Relatives and Care Partners,
Temporary Halt on Visiting Birkdale Park Nursing Home - Virus Second Wave & No Swabs Available
Hope you are all well. I write to inform you that with immediate effect I am halting all courtyard visits to Birkdale Park. I am still permitting clinical professional visits as they are essential at this time. We have been waiting for swabs from the government for the last 4 weeks since they withdrew the 200 swabs we had patiently waited for. This means I have no means of testing our residents nor staff. These are the only means we have to navigate our way out of the pandemic. No swabs - we are dangerously blind. We therefore remain in the same situation we were at the start of the pandemic not knowing if the virus is in our home or not. In addition, we are witnessing a second wave of COVID as I predicted some weeks ago. The widening of the Greater Manchester restrictions is deeply concerning. I’m not prepared to see this virus ‘sneak in’ whilst we have no testing mechanism in place and while possible community contagion increases.
My focus now is to relock BP, await for the swabs for my lovely residents and staff and monitor the ‘R rate’ in the community to assess when is the best time to lift the restriction. From the outset I have trusted my own intuition on this matter.
I understand that this will be a disappointment to you but it is done with a heavy heart and only in the interests and safety of your relatives and our staff. It of course will be lifted as soon as we feel it is appropriate. We will continue with planned outpatient appointments/dialysis etc.
Window visits (rear garden) skypes and phone calls will of course continue. I will be increasing the video walkarounds over this period of relock. If you have difficulty in accessing the internet or one of your relatives please let us know so we may possibly assist. Please make full use of the relatives gateway portal on the PCS system and message the nurses direct. I too am available at any time to chat and reassure you at this anxious time.
Yet another example of the grossly shambolic way this government has handled the pandemic, especially concerning the care industry. If anyone hasn’t watched it yet, I’d strongly recommend watching the Panorama mentioned in this article. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...tten-frontline
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Tentill4 says:31/07/2020 05:26 PM
Stop whinning and book some test for your staff Jonathan.
"Over 7,000 tests to tell people whether they have the COVID-19 virus have already been carried out at drive-through sites in Bootle, Crosby, Litherland, Maghull and Southport.
Confirmation of August dates for the sites, which are supported by Sefton Council, NHS Southport and Formby CCG and NHS South Sefton CCG, follows on from a timetable that saw units deployed across Sefton Borough every day in July.
Tests at mobile centres are available for anyone but they need to have made an appointment first at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119."
Stop whinning and book some test for your staff Jonathan.
"Over 7,000 tests to tell people whether they have the COVID-19 virus have already been carried out at drive-through sites in Bootle, Crosby, Litherland, Maghull and Southport.
Confirmation of August dates for the sites, which are supported by Sefton Council, NHS Southport and Formby CCG and NHS South Sefton CCG, follows on from a timetable that saw units deployed across Sefton Borough every day in July.
Tests at mobile centres are available for anyone but they need to have made an appointment first at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119."
When are these tests available to the Public? And where?
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local says:31/07/2020 06:34 PM
Originally Posted by donkey22
Yet another example of the grossly shambolic way this government has handled the pandemic, especially concerning the care industry. If anyone hasn’t watched it yet, I’d strongly recommend watching the Panorama mentioned in this article. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...tten-frontline
The Guvvernment isn't the experts who were already there are.
The private care industry has been in chaos for years and infection control is one of their bread and butter jobs or at least should be.
PLEASE everyone take a deep breath, look at the current guidelines and make your own decisions. If you hear or believe some viewpoint, validate it - you're online after all. And don't be taken in by the political games of all parties trying to cause confusion and conflict.
I have to write in knuckle dragger for those who constantly blame "the guvvernment" with their repetitive neanderthal chant.
Nursing Homes are paid (often handsomely) to deal with clinically vulnerable patients, that's their job.
Infection control is at the top of the list of key duties.
It's in the link I posted.
As you said, an article from 2013, a lot has changed since then.
One problem with the Homes was that they couldn't get hold of PPE, the Government had collared all the supplies.
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MICK/GILLY says:01/08/2020 01:47 PM
I know someone who booked a test at 04.30 this morning online and was offered one at 09.30, it was at the park and ride near the fairground, well organised and simple to do, it took 15 mins all in and was easy , results back within 5 days usually 48 hrs.
There’s no excuse for not having one when they are Free, this easy and you want to visit relatives.
If I owned a care home I would book everyone in and take them in a mini bus with a couple of staff to help, especially if I had a military get things done mindset. you can even get a home test kit from them.
There are no tests tomorrow but some slots still available Monday and all next week.
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local says:01/08/2020 04:53 PM
Originally Posted by Alikado
As you said, an article from 2013, a lot has changed since then.
One problem with the Homes was that they couldn't get hold of PPE, the Government had collared all the supplies.
It's not an article it's the guidance notes for Home owners from 2013 and its gives the requirement in law.
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