Deaths in Oxfordshire care homes during Covid sky-rocket

Covid-19's grim impact on care homes has been well documented over the past year as the virus hit some of the most vulnerable people the worst.

However, figures released by the Care Quality Commission – the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England – show exactly how many lives were lost during the crisis.

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It was revealed that a total of 288 residents have died in the county's care homes since April last year with 14 of those mentioning Covid-19 on the death certificate.

This compares with 161 deaths recorded in 2019.

It is important to note that according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) there may have been other Covid-19 deaths in the first wave caused by undiagnosed cases of the virus.

This is because of subsequent enhanced testing and increased medical knowledge.

Jacquie Pearce-Gervis, chair of Patient Voice, commented on the 'dramatic' increase in lives lost and what lead to it: "The hospitals were instructed to clear the wards for an influx of patients, which meant that many of the elderly and sick patients were discharged at short notice.

"It is possible that some of these patients took the virus with them.

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"It would be interesting to know how many of the deaths were patients who had been transferred in this way."

However, Ms Pearce-Gervis praised staff at care homes for their dedication, pointing out that some of them even camped out in the grounds, rather than return home at the end of their shifts.

She added: "They had to replace relatives, who were not allowed to visit their loved ones.

"They struggled with insufficient PPE equipment and their dedication has been amazing."

One of the care homes in Oxfordshire, which was hit hard by the second wave of the virus, was the John Masefield House in the village of Burcot, a few miles from Abingdon.

In January, the Oxford Mail confirmed the death of two vulnerable resident there, who lost their lives in just one week after an outbreak in the facility.

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The news came days after this paper reported that health inspectors found that the care home for 22 adults with physical disabilities had failed to provide Covid-19 safety measures.

The shocking report concluded that the service, which is managed by private provider Valorum Care, was not deemed ‘safe’ and that residents there were ‘at risk of avoidable harm’ as systems were either not in place or not robust enough to ensure risks to people were managed safely.

Following a follow-up assessment by the CQC in March, the facility was rated as 'requires improvement' in all five categories – an improvement from 'inadequate'.

A spokesperson for Valorum Care Group commented: "We are pleased that the report recognises the progress that has been made in all areas, especially the assurance around infection prevention and control.

"We recognise that there is still work to do and we continue to work with the team, residents and their families on these areas."

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Separately, official figures from the ONS also revealed that more people died with Covid-19 in care homes in England during the second wave of the pandemic than in the first.

The data shows that while the rise Covid-19 victims among care home residents was much sharper during the first wave between March and September last year, the number and proportion of virus deaths were higher in the second wave from September to April this year.

A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council commented on the general impact of the virus on vulnerable people in local care homes: "The global pandemic has sadly led to the deaths of many people around the world – particularly in older age groups who are known to be more vulnerable to the virus.

"Our continued sympathies are with families who have suffered a loss, whether here in Oxfordshire or elsewhere."