Care homes were 'abandoned' says Leeds manager as damning report condemns Government's handling of Covid-19 pandemic

Jodie Boucher, chairwoman of Leeds’ registered managers network for care homes and domiciliary care, told the Yorkshire Evening Post those working on the front line in social care felt like “the forgotten ones” during the Government's early handling of the pandemic.

The decision to release patients from hospitals into care home settings without testing for Covid-19 was one of a series of serious errors and delays placed at the hands of the Government and scientific advisors in a cross-party report into the UK’s response.

The damning study, by the health and science committees of the House of Commons, also highlighted the UK’s preparation as being far too focused on flu, ministers waiting too long to push through lockdown measures in early 2020, “light-touch border controls” and lack of testing capacity in the initial stages among the string of failings which it said cost lives.

Jodie, who also runs Carr Croft Care Home in Meanwood, said: “Everything they did was always too late. The lockdown was too late.”

She said she knows of managers in Leeds who have left jobs due to pandemic.

“There have been managers in tears with the impact that it’s had on them and their teams.