The cross-party Public Accounts Committee has condemned the government for its decision to discharge 25,000 patents from hospital to care homes without testing them for Covid-19 first.

The government’s ‘appalling error’ has no doubt resulted in many deaths, especially among residents but also among the dedicated staff who care for them.

Adding insult to injury there was not enough protective clothing and kit for staff caring for residents. Staff were literally putting their lives on the line to care for their residents. The chair of the Public Accounts Committee said that this failure was ‘a sad, low moment in our national response”.

Councillor Liz Simpson Shadow Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care said: “I could weep when I read statements such as care homes being abandoned and thrown to the wolves, causing a catastrophic loss of life.

“I totally understand that the NHS needed to free up space for people with Covid, but consequences of doing this in the way the government chose to do it has robbed many families of their loved ones, in most cases totally unnecessary. It’s an absolute tragedy.

“If we had followed the lead of other countries who had much better testing in place, this might have been avoided.

“What happened in social care and care homes has exposed a decade of under-investment.

“The government has defended its decision by saying it took the decision with information it had at the time and would not necessary do the same thing again. We should hope not.”