# Care home residents sacrificed to protect NHS during pandemic > Covid inquiry reveals 43,000 care home deaths as virus spread 'like wildfire' due to government failures. - Title: Care home residents sacrificed to protect NHS during pandemic - Summary: Covid inquiry reveals 43,000 care home deaths as virus spread 'like wildfire' due to government failures. Covid inquiry finds 43,000 care home residents died… - Keywords: care home, nhs, covid pandemic, virus, 43000 deaths, uk government, pandemic planning, news, entertainment, Care, home, residents - Source: Dailymail — https://dailymail.com/news/article-16222733/Care-home-residents-sacrificed-protect-NHS-Covid-pandemic-causing-43-000-deaths-failings-saw-virus-spread-like-wildfire-damning-inquiry-finds.html?ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490&ns_mchannel=rss - Published: 2026-10-20T11:00:04+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: care home, nhs, covid pandemic, virus, 43000 deaths, uk government, pandemic planning, news, entertainment ## Care home residents sacrificed Covid inquiry found vulnerable residents treated as 'afterthought' to protect NHS. > Vulnerable care home residents were treated as an 'afterthought' and sacrificed to 'protect the NHS' ## 43,000 deaths caused More than 43,000 residents died after hospitals discharged infected patients without adequate protections. > More than 43,000 residents died after hospitals discharged infected patients into care homes without adequate protections ## Virus spread like wildfire Virus spread rapidly due to lack of isolation, testing and PPE for care workers. > the virus to 'spread like wildfire' ## False protective ring claim Health secretary Matt Hancock claimed ministers threw 'protective ring' around care homes 'right from the start'. > Claims by the then health secretary Matt Hancock that ministers had thrown a 'protective ring' around care homes 'right from the start' were untrue ## Inadequate protections Care homes lacked proper isolation, testing and PPE leading to workers wearing bin bags or waterproof ponchos. > care workers lacked personal protective equipment (PPE), meaning they were forced to wear bin bags or waterproof ponchos from music festivals ## Visiting restrictions Visiting restrictions caused enormous harm and significant decline in health for residents with dementia. > visiting restrictions caused 'enormous harm' and resulted in 'significant decline' in some people, particularly those with dementia ## Dying without loved ones Residents not allowed to be with dying loved ones leaving bereaved people grief-stricken. > People were not allowed to be with dying friends or relatives in their final moments, leaving bereaved people 'grief-stricken' ## Pre-pandemic planning Exercise Cygnus showed need for more pandemic planning but was not completed by 2020. > Exercise Cygnus, a pandemic preparedness exercise conducted in October 2016, said more work was needed to ensure there would be enough surge capacity in care homes in the event of a pandemic but this had not been completed by the time the outbreak hit ## End-of-life decisions Some DNACPR decisions made inappropriately without proper consultation. > The inquiry examined concerns about the use of Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions and found some were made inappropriately or without proper consultation ## Care worker burnout Care workers suffered burnout and some left profession due to pandemic stress. > The report found care workers put their own lives at risk to help others, with some suffering 'burnout' and some leaving the profession early as a result of what they endured ## PPE failures Failure to provide adequate PPE was 'wholly unacceptable' for care workers. > The failure to give them adequate PPE was 'wholly unacceptable' and the role of the care sector in society has been 'undervalued and under-recognised' for too long ## Inquiry recommendations Report includes eight key recommendations for better care home protection. > Today's report into the care sector is the sixth of ten modules and has eight key recommendations to add to the 55 issued in the previous modules ## Government response Health secretary Yvette Cooper pledged government would respond to report 'in due course'. > Health secretary Yvette Cooper told the House of Commons the government would respond fully to the report 'in due course' ## Public reaction Bereaved families called Hancock's claim a 'sickening lie' and 'joke'. > Bereaved families have previously called the phrase a 'sickening lie' and a 'joke' ## Inquiry conclusion Inquiry states government failures caused 'devastating consequences' for care home residents. > In the end, action to protect carers and residents came 'too late', with 'devastating consequences' ## Key takeaway Covid inquiry finds 43,000 care home residents died during pandemic after government failed to protect them from virus.