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Coronavirus deaths recorded in care homes soar by 380% in one week, figures show
The number of deaths in care homes across the UK has increased by nearly 400% during the week ending 10 April, according to new official government figures.
According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), COVID-19 deaths recorded in care homes jumped from 217 to 1,043 between 3 April and 10 April – a rise of 380% on the previous seven-day period.
The data, which covers coronavirus deaths in England and Wales, identified that 1,662 deaths had occurred outside of hospitals.
It comes as the National Care Forum warned that deaths in care homes could be higher than 7,000 since the beginning of the outbreak.
Responding to the latest ONS figures, Ian Hudspeth, chair of the Local Government Association’s community well-being board, said: “Today’s sad and shocking figures highlight just what a severe challenge we face in care homes and other community settings.
“Council social care staff and care homes need urgent access to reliable and ongoing supplies of quality PPE [personal protection equipment], increased rapid and comprehensive testing, and greater support with staffing and other equipment, on an equal footing with the NHS.”
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Mr Hudspeth called for data on COVID-19 deaths to be published promptly and accurately so that the public can have confidence in the figures.
The data, published today, provides a weekly total of deaths for the week ending 10 April. But the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said yesterday that it is to work with the ONS to provide “a more detailed and timely picture of coronavirus deaths in adult social care by using the data collected from providers on deaths of people with suspected and confirmed cases”.
The CQC also said it has organised nearly 12,500 tests for social care staff.
The Regulator of Social Housing has also appealed to small care home providers to respond to a survey on how they are coping with the outbreak.
