Covid Inquiry Hears Of 'generational Slaughter'

A civilian servant's assertion that location was a "generational bulldoze wrong attraction homes" successful nan early days of nan pandemic is simply a building that "chimes pinch nan acquisition of thousands of our families", nan Covid enquiry has heard.

Pete Weatherby, barrister for nan run group Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, said nan building mightiness look an exaggeration but it highlighted issues nan enquiry must address.

His opening connection came connected nan first time of nan sixth portion of nan Covid enquiry which will attraction connected nan effect of nan pandemic connected attraction services for aged and abnormal people.

The authorities has said it is committed to learning lessons from nan inquiry.

Senior civilian servant Alasdair Donaldson made nan remark astir generational bulldoze successful his written grounds to nan inquiry, Mr Weatherby said.

Mr Donaldson's grounds besides describes "complete chaos" successful nan Department of Health and Social Care erstwhile he started moving location successful April 2020, soon aft nan commencement of nan pandemic.

Mr Weatherby urged nan enquiry to telephone Mr Donaldson to springiness grounds successful person.

Nearly 46,000 attraction location residents died pinch Covid successful England and Wales betwixt March 2020 and January 2022, galore of them successful nan early weeks of nan pandemic.

Key questions nan families dream nan enquiry will reply see why nan determination was made successful March 2020 to quickly discharge immoderate infirmary patients into attraction homes.

They blasted this successful portion for seeding nan microorganism into attraction homes successful nan early weeks of nan pandemic.

There are besides questions astir broad "do not resuscitate" notices being placed connected immoderate attraction location residents by aesculapian services and astir visiting policies which prevented families seeing their loved ones for months.

The proceeding began pinch filmed grounds from group who mislaid loved ones during nan pandemic.

Ann, from Wales, told nan Inquiry's Every Story Matters task that her dad, who had dementia, was surviving successful a attraction location erstwhile nan pandemic hit.

When visits were constricted "he didn't person nan knowing of why we were extracurricular his window," she said.

He became progressively confused, tearful and begging to beryllium allowed to die.

When he yet passed away, Ann was told of his decease via a telephone telephone successful nan mediate of nan night.

Julie from Yorkshire said she would "never travel to terms" pinch nan measurement her mother had passed distant - sedated and alone.

"There are truthful galore of america that will ne'er move on. It will beryllium pinch america for nan remainder of our lives," she said.

And she added: "Things person to change. This is not correct - you should person decease successful dignity."

Nicky Hastie attended nan enquiry successful personification connected Monday, clutching a photograph of her mother Margaret.

Nicky says she spotted that her mother was dying from Covid connected a video telephone earlier unit had noticed, and described that clip arsenic "traumatic".

"She didn't dice pinch dignity and location was nary alleviation for her symptom and suffering," she told BBC News.

The barrister to nan enquiry Jacqueline Carey KC group retired nan scope of nan hearings, informing this conception would undoubtedly beryllium "emotive and distressing for galore group participating in, and following, these proceedings".

Ms Carey besides highlighted Every Story Matters grounds from attraction location workers.

She quoted a worker astatine a Durham attraction location who described really nan microorganism "spread for illustration wildfire".

"At 1 point, 67 retired of 87 residents tested positive, arsenic good arsenic a precocious percent of our staff.

"We were each terrified we would return nan microorganism location to our families," nan attraction worker said.

In particular, Ms Carey said nan enquiry would analyse understaffing successful attraction homes and nan plight of attraction workers, galore of whom were connected nan nationalist minimum wage, and besides migrant workers.

Even earlier nan pandemic, nan authorities of nan attraction assemblage "was fragile", Ms Carey told nan hearing.

Covid testing capacity was highly limited, peculiarly astatine nan commencement of nan pandemic wherever testing was constricted to group who had symptoms.

The enquiry will besides look astatine nan shortage of individual protective instrumentality (PPE) successful attraction homes.

Not only were supplies of PPE very difficult to get, location were issues of whether unit had been trained to usage it and, erstwhile it yet arrived, immoderate of it was not fresh for purpose, pinch straps that kept breaking, for example.

This portion of nan enquiry is expected to past 5 weeks.

It will perceive grounds from bereaved relatives, abnormal people, attraction worker associations and organisations representing attraction providers, arsenic good arsenic waste and acquisition unions and section government.