Care home  death toll highlights urgent need for reform, says UNISON

Responding to data published today (Friday) by the Office for National Statistics that show nearly 20,000 care home residents have died from coronavirus, UNISON senior national officer Gavin Edwards said:
“This appalling death toll is yet more evidence care was left high and dry when the pandemic hit.
“Many elderly residents were at the mercy of the virus and low-paid care staff were poorly protected.
“The best run homes pay employees full wages to workers off sick. In others, ill staff are effectively forced into turning up for work because they can’t survive with no money coming in.
“If ever there was a time for urgent and comprehensive reform of the care sector it’s now.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contacts:
Sophie Goodchild M: 07767 325595 E: [e-mail]
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: [e-mail]
The article Care home death toll highlights urgent need for reform, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Source: UNISON Health care news - July 3, 2020 Category: UK Health Authors: Anthony Barnes Tags: News Press release care workers coronavirus Source Type: news