Calls for elderly hospital patients to be tested for coronavirus before being discharged to care homes

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Some care homes around the UK are refusing to take in patients ready to leave hospitals
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Calls are being made for elderly patients to be tested for Covid-19 before their discharge from London hospitals into care homes amid concerns they could lead to outbreaks of the disease.

Inpatients are being discharged where possible by trusts to free up beds for the growing numbers of people being admitted for treatment after contracting coronavirus.

Testing for the virus is not a requirement under current discharge guidance issued by the Government.

Some care homes around the UK are refusing to take in patients ready to leave hospitals as bosses do not want to expose residents and staff to the risk.

Ealing council leader Julian Bell said he was concerned about testing not taking place.

Mr Bell told the Standard that 10 of Ealing’s 50-plus care homes have suffered coronavirus outbreaks. He said there had been one confirmed coronavirus death and one death where it was suspected of being the cause.

He said: “Hospitals are discharging elderly patients from hospital to care homes to free up acute beds for Covid19 patients but are doing so without testing for Covid-19.

"We are asking for all such vulnerable patients to be tested so that suitable infection control measures can be put in place in the receiving care home in order to avoid an outbreak in the care home if someone unknowingly with Covid-19 is discharged there.”

London GPs have echoed the calls for testing — and for NHS England to supply adequate personal protective equipment for all health workers.

One GP leading a practice, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “As GPs we are used to providing palliative care for patients in the community, but without suitable personal protection equipment we are having to increasingly put ourselves at risk to look after those who need us most.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The Government is rapidly scaling up the national effort to boost testing capacity for COVID-19 to protect the vulnerable, support our health service, and ultimately save lives.

“We are increasing NHS hospital and Public Health England testing capacity from 5,000 to 10,000 and then 25,000 tests a day.

“The Chancellor previously announced £2.9bn funding to strengthen care for the vulnerable. Of this, £1.3bn will be used to free up more than 15,000 hospital beds by helping patients no longer in need of treatment to return home safely.”

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