Denials reiterated during today’s press briefing – but government’s adult social care site still says C+ patients will be discharged to care homes
Government minister Oliver Dowden and his scientific adviser Stephen Powis today repeated the Tories’ persistent denial that the government has knowingly sent confirmed coronavirus sufferers into care homes.
Doctors and care professionals have accused the government of ‘seeding’ the virus among the most vulnerable by doing exactly that – after the SKWAWKBOX broke the news exclusively more than seven weeks ago and the NHS confirmed not only that it was happening, but that it was driven by central government policy.
That didn’t prevent the government’s denials – and it didn’t stop Dowden and Powis today:
But it is still government policy to send confirmed-positive coronavirus sufferers back to care homes. The government’s ‘COVID-19 Action Plan for Social Care‘ on its official gov.uk website (archived this evening here) confirms it.
The ‘action plan’ is specific that the coronavirus status of some people being discharged into care homes is ‘COVID-positive’:
The action plan confirms that this policy has continued even after the public outcry about the care-home situation pushed the government into testing all residents before they are discharged back to homes – they might be tested, but they will still be sent back to care homes before the result is known:
And as the first graphic shows, some who do test positive will also be sent back.
The same document also confirms that asymptomatic people will be discharged – and the language makes clear that they will not only be discharged if they test negative:
And while C-positive patients are now supposed to be ‘isolated’, the document confirms that the government knows that many of the people involved – not all of them elderly – will be suffering from dementia or other mental impairments that will make them difficult to keep in isolation:
Care homes suffering from staff shortages because of the pandemic are unlikely to be able to provide the 24/7 monitoring of multiple patients to ensure that they do not mix with other residents – even if the home has suitable facilities.
And the document still boasts – in spite of the fact that the government has condemned tens of thousands of residents to suffocate to death in care homes not equipped with ventilators, the Department of Health and Social Care still finds time to boast of its ‘successful’ discharge policy and the critical care beds kept empty as a result:
The Tories will, of course, continue to tell the public that this is not happening – in spite of the fact that its own documentation confirms that it is.
And almost none of the ‘mainstream’ media will challenge them adequately and directly enough on it. So it’s up to the independent media and their readers to make sure these facts reach the public consciousness.
(Thank you to Twitter activist @RedRadicals for the help on the groundwork for this article.)
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Heard that and shouted at the radio. THAT’s a LIE‼️‼️‼️ That is EXACTLY what they did. Posted on Skwawkbox.org since last month‼️‼️‼️
So you shouted at the radio did you! Hope your radio’s OK!
Anyway, in a thread earlier today in which you went on about the people in your CLP endlessly discussing theories – as you have done about a dozen or more times in the past few months – you said that it was “obvious” that “having Starmer at the heart of the shadow cabinet would end in tears”. Could you elaborate AND explain how having Starmer in the shadow cabinet led to these tears, and am I right in thinking that what you’re saying, in effect, is that it’s all Jeremy’s fault that Starmer is now leader and, as such, the right-wing of the party has taken back control. Is that correct?
And which CLP do you belong to, and do they know that you’re forever trashing them on here? Oh, right, and you assume that all the other couple of hundred CLPs (and the thousands of members who attend meetings) endlessly discuss theories etc (and read books)…….. Can you explain WHY you assume that? And is that both LEFT and right-wing members who endlessly discuss theories and read books etc, or just left-wing members? And WHY do you feel the need to keep repeating it over and over and over again?
That SHOULD have read ‘hundreds’ of CLPs, and NOT a couple of hundred of CLPs!
You have clearly never been to a Labour party branch meeting “endlessly discuss theories etc” you are so laughably inaccurate .One thing that defines the right, both inside and outside the LP is the lack of theoretical debate and discussion of ideas.I am not sure why you have so taken against “chimes”,but I for one find it unpleasant and uncalled for,knock it off fellah.
For clarification: it should have been obvious but the book readings and endless discussions go on everyday in Jeremy supporting groups, which are obviously part of the Branches which are part pf the CLP.
Even before lockdown electronic exchanges were huge, so much so that additional groups had to be set up to focus on the admnin. This should not be difficult for anyone to understand as we know that within the PLP, there are different groups. We know their focus was neither theory nor ideas. Peter Mandelson declaration that they “worked night and day to Stop Corbyn”, undermine him / bring him down etc. The 860 pg dossier confirmed the existence of those anti Corbyn Groups and their exchanges were on their basic aim. Regain control of our party.
It is obvious then, that Pro Jeremy groups exist. In mine no one “worked night and day” to Stop Starmer nor Twatson nor Ummuna, etc. The responses from many longstanding members, were always “that would cause bad press from the MSM”, “this shouldn’t be about XXXXX” person. “Reform” XXXXX etc. “Don’t be like XXXXX”. etc etc etc.
That obviously leaves a void. That void is filled with reading and discussing political, and economic theories, Socialism etc etc etc. Never the basics of dealing with the terminates and parasites. That continues up to yesterday. It will not be a surprise those chats of agreement continue today and forever.
Rarely is there disagreement. Disagreement is unwelcome. There are a few like me who feel the Twatsons needed to be suspended and expelled etc, but that obvious basic was always met with jellied weakness. Always, the concern was what would the MSM say. Yet Skwawkbox is not liked. I kid you not.
Despite the result of that persistent jellied weakness, and seeing Stoma in situ, STILL there is no acceptance that you cannot sail across a lake on a feather pillow… let alone a crocodile infested one with leeches and other parasites.
I will keep calling out his B/S, and needless to say, YOU are just lying through your teeth as well. But perhaps you’d like to tell us the names of some of these theories that hundreds of CLPs endlessly discuss. No, thought not.
Please don’t believe a word these shills spout, because it is just Big Lies and Smears.
And can you direct me to some of these ‘Jeremy supporting groups’ signpost AND the one you say you belong to? As for no-one in these groups working night and day to stop Starmer and Watson etc, what were YOU doing to ‘stop’ them, whatever that means. Starmer is now leader of the LP, and I have no doubt that many of the people you speak of regularly criticise him. And who were these ‘hostile presenters’ you claimed were surprised that Jeremy hadn’t sued any of the individuals who called him an anti-semite?
ps, Care homes are HOMES. They are not set up for infection control of contagious diseases like Covid-19. It would be impossible to provide the required care without properly qualified staff on top of agency staff. Further, anyone could imagine the upheaval and distress to elderly residents with the extra demands activity IN THEIR HOME. Plus loves ones physically distant.
The potty idea to discharge tested and untested with obvious symptoms had nothing to do with care and nothing to do with saving lives. It was the policy of Cummings and his lazy boris johnson
Machiavellian!!
So why didn’t Srarmer challenge johnson with this
One of the regular posters on here predictably defended Keir Starmer’s skills yesterday asking Doug if he had watched ithe debate when he dared criticise the knight, well I watched it and sadly there was no mention of the action plan quotes above.
https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/7bbc9bdb-38ff-4b6a-a1c5-32ece0303c74?in=12:03:13&out=12:16:25
Not very forensic, or passionate
……….not potty, this is murder. All the Care Homes that I have ever visited are just communal waiting rooms with a big television. Incubators for any disease, but especially Covid 19. The scientists; the politicians & other so-called experts knew the consequences of their actions……..”Protect the NHS” from the vulnerable & the elderly……clear the decks ready for action! Next Tory Manifesto ‘A friend in need is a ……….public liability’.
Absolutely right Steve Richards. Potty in as totally illogical… against common-sense. It IS government manslaughter or government murder. Plus using Covid-19 as yet another cash-cow for the 1%. Expect Branson to get even more than the half billion he is now scrounging, down from £7.5billion. SERCO would have already been paid for a failure – their tracing app. Remember Grant Shapps gave a contract to a ferry company with no ferries. Deloitte, Roche, etc are all making a killing.
How else was there going to be sufficient ventilators for the perceived/expected demand ?
Remember that Boris had one available, if he needed it. “Common sense” really as per Moggy and Johnson
The Squawkbox has published in writing as the above reports show Intent and planning involved in the murder of vunerable patiants entombed in Care homes to die..Never forget and remember that the party we are members of stood down and only showed interest when it was all too late.for the victims of this government .and asked aQuestion,of little help that only muddied the waters.Limp knight of the establishment and limp question.
Exactly right joseph. Their cock up was believing few of the general public would realise. They were right that Starmer would only pretend to oppose them as they know he can’t accept his masters. NB the obvious “EXCESS DEATHS” to expose Tory spin was posted on skwawkbox.org seems like months ago now. AH will know exactly when to the minute.
NB also months ago, posts highlighting the obvious effect of poorly paid agency and other staff, doing two three jobs to make ends meet, thus being vectors of Covid-19 from care home to care home and to their families.
Add to that, post re no appropriate, adequate PPE, EVEN in NHS hospitals until long after posts here on skwawkbox.org … the basics. OBVIOUS basics which affect ALL of us. Skwawkbox.org attracts those who recognise that the theories are background. Reading should inform our actions BUT we do not save a patient by chatting about theories. We ACT. We do not hope to “reform” the patient’s health by failing to act, and distracting ourselves with more metropolitan chat day in day out about another book read. That is AVOIDANCE.
I detect from the rough guess of the ages of the people involved and how erudite they are… as they make sure everyone knows every single day… my guess is LEARNED ATTITUDE. Culture of defeat and avoidance but insistence to be TOP DOWN while saying grassroots and communities. Political elite clique determined to tell the uneducated masses about Marx and class consciousness. Maybe they believe that way they won’t get their hands dirty. Just HOPE by some miracle, fate will come our way and they would be given a job as political advisor etc. Hence, DON’t ROCK THE BOAT. After all they would work for anyone … even SIR k Starmer. We can do better than that🌹🌹🌹
Professor David Hall ” It is shocking that DHL, the parcel delivery subsidiary of Deutsche Post has been deciding how to spend over £4 billion of the NHS budget” for fuller details from We Own it website. Privatisation not working calls for NHS to “take back control”- where have I heard that phrase?
https://weownit.org.uk/blog/press-release-report-blasts-%E2%80%9Cfundamentally-dysfunctional%E2%80%9D-system-sourcing-ppe
Great link, thanks. I hadn’t appreciated the extent of the privatisations to date, the inappropriateness of the types and number of companies awarded NHS supply contracts or the utterly pathetic logistics failures of supposed logistics experts.
For decades I’ve criticised the JIT/zero inventory method that dominates the thinking of the people responsible for the PPE shortages.
The vulnerability to cascading supply failures in occasional but inevitable emergencies is just one aspect of the stupidity – the major issue is that ‘zero inventory’ only applies to the rich end of the supply chain. The other end, the usually small or medium enterprise parts suppliers, have to pay for warehousing to store inventory themselves so they can deliver to their larger, richer, corporate customers on the day or hour they expect – with no failures – ever. If they fail they can lose the contract to a waiting competitor.
Deliveries of parts are in smaller quantities but with far greater frequency – a neglected aspect, but JIT is responsible for many more vehicle journeys, increased pollution and disproportionate spending on sophisticated ‘logistics’ to make the vastly complex system work at all.
The saving to corporate industry in warehousing costs of ‘just in time’ simply shifts the costs from big corporations to their smaller suppliers – the warehouse space taken up by those parts is the same.
Blind, unthinking faith in the efficiency of JIT is directly responsible for the PPE shortages and the resulting deaths.
An NHS responsible for its own planning would be smart enough to hold stocks sufficient to cope with emergencies – the NHS knows outbreaks are inevitable.
Privatised, it’s run by beancounters with beancounter tunnel vision, on beancounter principles where the bottom line is all.
A few tens of thousands of deaths, for which no single individual can be held responsible, don’t appear anywhere in anyone’s annual accounts.
NHS FOR SALE is a very good site documenting privatising failures
Protect the NHS? Stay @ home; don’t sunbathe; seed Covid 19 virus into Care Homes…………..so much good advice eventually becoming tantamount to murder? They can join up the dots, but who will point the finger?.
”but who will point the finger?”
No use whatsoever, looking to the former director of public prosecutions. He’s a propensity for letting toerags off the hook for CRIMINAL offences.