A FURIOUS care home boss has accused Public Health England of playing Russian roulette with the lives of vulnerable residents.

Rachel Beckett, chair of Wellburn, which has three homes – St Catherine’s at Shipton by Beningbrough, Grimston Court and Rosevale at Wigginton, near York – says every care home provider in the UK is now being instructed to re-admit residents who have been admitted to hospital with Covid-19 symptoms.

She said: “The instruction from Public Health England (PHE) also goes on to say that, ‘because of the lack of testing available, the readmissions may or may not have Covid-19’.” Ms Beckett said PHE was also instructing care homes to open up their general admissions to other hospitalised patients, who also may or may not have the disease.

She added: “I’m absolutely sure you’d be hard pressed to find one care home provider in the UK, that feels comfortable with this outrageous and reckless request.

“I have a duty of care to my residents, to their loved ones and my staff. How can I with good conscience admit any patient back into any of our homes, when we have no idea if they have Covid-19 or not? Our staff levels are woefully depleted, the staff we have have although remaining resilient are shattered, overworked and pushed to the limit.

“To expect us to comply with these instructions is tantamount to playing Russian roulette with the lives of our most vulnerable. I’m just not prepared to do it.

“I can’t look my residents, my staff and all of their families and loved ones in the eyes and say we’re doing everything we can to protect every one of them, whilst opening our doors, hoping and praying a patient isn’t carrying a virus in with them.”

A spokeswoman for PHE said hospitals needed as many beds as possible to support and treat an increasing number of Covid-19 cases. She added: “No one wants to unnecessarily spend time in hospital so as soon as a person is well enough, the NHS will discharge a patient so they can complete their recovery at home.”

Dr Nick Phin, deputy director of PHE, said guidance had been developed for social care and hospital discharge teams to ensure residents could be cared for safely. He added: “It details measures to be taken to help minimise any risk of further transmission of Covid-19 to patients and staff within care homes and the same guidance also advises on accessing appropriate testing.”