Coronavirus: 'Inaction' as coronavirus sweeps through care home

The support worker at Beaconsfield Villas, near Preston Park, said seven people had now been infected with the virus – including staff.

The source said she could “foresee a tragedy” as no intervention “of any kind” had been taken by Brighton and Hove City Council to protect workers and residents

A spokesman for the council said it had been in continuous contact with the home for adults with learning disabilities, and plans have been put in place to manage the outbreak.

The whistle-blower’s claims came as Covid cases increased in homes across the city, following the discovery of a new variant of the virus which is easier to transmit.

READ MORE: Sussex's Covid crisis laid bare in graphs

A number of employees – including some with underlying conditions – are now self-isolating, the worker claims.

She said “so far unaffected staff” were currently taking residents out for daily exercise outside the home.

The source said: “We look after extremely vulnerable residents and we are going down daily with more positive cases.

“I am worried that despite the rollout of a vaccine for care home staff, so far no intervention of any kind has been taken by the council to protect us.

“Yes, we have test kits, but knowing that you have caught the virus, it is then too late.

“As part of the residents' daily routine, they are taken out into the wider community to exercise by the so far unaffected staff.

“Despite the best efforts of staff, I don’t know how long we can contain this outbreak, with no help or guidance from the local authority and no guidance or plan.

“Things are bad, I foresee a tragedy, as the residents cannot be hospitalised because of their conditions, how will they get treatment?”

Last year, The Argus quizzed Health Secretary Matt Hancock at the nation’s coronavirus briefings on the spread of the virus within the city’s care homes.

Argus quizzes Matt Hancock on infections within the city's care homes

The question came after we reported on a “perfect storm” of infections.

According to the Office of National Statistics, the number of deaths in the city's care homes since the start of the pandemic is now 76. Three of those were registered in the last two weeks.

A council spokesman said: “We understand the current pressures and how stressful it is for staff in any setting to manage an outbreak.

“The new variant of Covid-19 is easier to transmit. In recent weeks we have seen an increase in Covid cases identified in care home settings. This is in line with trends seen across the country.

“We’re sorry to hear the concerns of this staff member. We would like to reassure them and all care home staff that we continue to support and protect them in their workplace.

Deaths within the city's care homes by week. Source: ONS

“Beaconsfield Villas managers have had and continue to have contact, support and input from the council on a regular basis. Advice and guidance is also being provided to staff by infection prevention and control specialists within the council and Public Health England.

“This has included carrying out risk assessments for staff and residents and putting in place plans to best manage the situation.”

Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, Caroline Lucas, said: "Throughout the Covid crisis care homes have been let down by the Government, and outbreaks like the one at Beaconsfield Villas show just how vital it is that they do everything possible to get the vaccine rolled out quickly as possible, fix track, trace and isolate, give hard-stretched local authorities the resources they have urgently been asking for, and act immediately to take further steps to stop the spread of Covid.

"I’ve taken this case up with the council and am trying to get to the bottom of what needs to happen to fully protect residents and staff. It's vital that large vaccination centres, like the one which opened at Brighton Racecourse become operational quickly, but it's equally important to ensure that access to the vaccine in smaller care settings, and in the community, keep up so that our most vulnerable residents are vaccinated quickly."