Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England, and the Rt Hon Stephen Dorrell, former Secretary of State for Health, laid out their views on what have been some of the key lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic thus far. 

Professor Green began the webinar by stressing the need for government policy to be more person focused rather than organisation focused. This was perhaps a reflection of the belief amongst many within the adult social care sector that the NHS as an organisation was given priority at the start of the crisis due to the ideational value which British society places upon it.

Stephen Dorrell stressed the need for the following actions to prepare adult social care:

1. The Government must focus on the needs of the care system and must not be fixated on the NHS and acute care
2. An effective test, track and trace system
3. An emphasis on technology, which we know can improve our response to Covid-19 and to infection control

Key questions regarding a coronavirus second wave

1. What is the inevitability of a second wave?
2. Should PPE be made free for everyone working in care?
3. What Government led safeguards will be put in place to prevent a recurrence of transmitting infections to care settings?
4. How do we plan for a second wave, given that for our vulnerable, life is still very much under lockdown?
5. Do we need to do more to 'segregate' care types (Residential, Nursing and Dementia) moving forward?
6. Will there be extra training requirements for a second wave of Covid19? And if so, can these be planned in advance rather than reactive to the second wave?
7. What can be done to ensure that appropriate responses to the second wave reflect the needs of other groups such as those with a learning disability or mental health issues
8. How do we allow people to exercise their own decisions while protecting organisations which have a duty of care to the people they support & care for?
9. What role should the CQC play in ensuring that care homes are as prepared as possible?
10. What role should Local Authorities play going forward, given that on the whole they have proved a barrier to accessing the money allocated as part of the Government's response to the first wave of Covid-19?

 

About the author

Carolyn Baker-Mellor is a respected industry leader with over 35 years' experience within the care insurance sector. She works across a wide spectrum of insurance product and policy development, delivery and optimisation for care industry clients, including managing global corporate accounts, working closely with trade associations, and helping clients in protecting their businesses and personal assets.

 

Care insurance from Towergate

Towergate Insurance are partners with Care England, NCF, Homecare Association and a number of regional associations and are actively engaging with local Government officers to provide updates on market restrictions. We also offer to speak with the CQC oversight committee about challenges within the insurance sector and work closely with the British Insurance Brokers‘ Association and the Association of British Insurers to ensure that wider messages are being heard across the market.

To find out more about how we can assist you see our care insurance webpage or email caredivision@towergate.co.uk. We can also advise on market updates.

Actions ahead of a potential Covid-19 second wave

In reference to the potential of a second wave, Martin called for the following actions:

1. A focus on the needs of the most vulnerable in order to have the biggest impact.
2. A full review of how the NHS can support adult social care in the coming weeks and months.
3. Clarification about the testing regime which needs to be very regular
4. Much clearer responses from the quangos surrounding government and their support for the sector.
5. More timely data and distribution.