Care homes in Harrogate left waiting over a week for Covid-19 test results as infection rates rise

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has spoken to care managers who say the national swabbing fiasco has caused "massive" problems for nursing homes as they brace themselves for a second wave of infections.

The government had promised to get carers swabbed every week, and residents every 28 days, so new infections could be detected quickly and isolated.

But the testing system has failed to turn around samples on time - with the delays nearly trebling the government target of 'up to 72 hours'.

The backlog adds to the nation's ongoing testing crisis which erupted earlier this month as demand at swapping centres outstripped capacity.

Susie Harrison, manager at Highgate Park care home and chair of Harrogate and District Registered Managers Network, described the government's approach to testing as "completely haphazard".

"Testing is still a massive problem," she said.

"Most are doing 'whole care home testing’- the weekly testing of all staff and every 28 days for residents - which is great in principle. However, the reality is there are still problems getting tests, with delays in results coming through for up to eight days.

"The system seems to be completely haphazard. No consistency at all."

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Sue Cawthray, chief executive of care charity Harrogate Neighbours, said despite the delays the testing system "seems to be under control for now" and that the charity is well-prepared for winter.

Richard Webb, North Yorkshire County Council’s director of health and adult services, told a briefing that the testing problems are "entirely" out of the council's power but added it was managing outbreaks in care homes well.

He added: "I would love to be able to make a commitment about extending testing to relatives and loved ones. We just couldn't deliver on that at the moment."

Earlier this month, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the testing labs are facing an "enormous challenge" and that it would take a "matter of weeks" to resolve the issues.

It comes as care homes across North Yorkshire are being urged to ban routine visits to residents until at least the end of October.

The advice from council bosses has sparked concerns over the mental well-being of residents - but Mrs Cawthray said their safety must always come first.

She said: “It is important that we follow the advice being given by the local authority and continue to work together to protect the vulnerable we look after. We all chose to work in caring for the elderly and the vulnerable, but we did not choose to work in such challenging times.

"However, the most important thing is to stay safe and protect those in our care from the virus and other issues which come with it.

“There is a risk presented by a lack of contact with family, so we have to manage this against contracting the virus – we continue to look at ways we can enhance the daily lives of everyone during these uncertain times."

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Families and friends will still be able to visit loved ones who are at the end of their lives - as long as national rules around hand-washing, face masks, PPE, distancing and other requirements are followed.

The advice comes after the county council's chief executive Richard Flinton said that "sadly, a small, but growing, number of care homes now have residents who are testing positive".

"We are seeing transfer within households from younger people to their parents," he said.

"Some of those parents are inevitably taking the virus unknowingly into their workplaces – some of those workplaces are our care homes.

"We must act right now – every one of us – this minute, and every minute to contain it and protect our most frail residents."

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporting Service