London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Care homes could 'go to the wall' as costs rise

Care homes "could go to the wall" due to rising costs from the coronavirus pandemic, bosses have said.

Thirty out of 102 care providers contacted by the BBC also said none of their staff had been tested, down from 75 who said so in April.

Care sector leaders said the government response was "patchy and inconsistent".

The Department of Health and Social Care said all care staff and residents can now be tested, regardless of symptoms.

BBC England spoke to 102 care homes and providers across the country, which between them care for more than 6,500 residents and have about 9,000 staff.

In April, 75 of those providers said none of their staff had been tested. By 19 May, that number had fallen to 30.

In total, one in five of the 9,000 staff have had to self-isolate because either they or members of their families have shown symptoms of the virus.

Mike Padgham, who runs four homes in North Yorkshire and is chairman of the Independent Care Group, said he was worried about the rising costs of the pandemic, from personal protective equipment (PPE) to extra staff to cover for those self-isolating as well as lost income from empty beds.

His own homes have lost an estimated £100,000, and it is difficult for care home providers to restrict the use of agency staff as they try to fill the gaps left by those who have to self-isolate.

He said rising costs of personal protective equipment and lost income from fewer new residents moving in were hitting both social care staff and the older people they care for.

He said: "Sadly I think some providers will go to the wall.

"That will mean a loss of jobs and it's a resident's home so where are they going to go?"

The government is spending £600m to tackle the infection in care homes but Mr Padgham said it had become tied up in bureaucracy, and will not get to care homes until June.

"The NHS and social care have been on the front line together from day one, but social care has only just been recognised," he said.

"Even though people have said things [in Parliament] and at the number 10 briefing about us having an arm put around us, a ring put around us, we don't feel protected."

Nadra Ahmed, chairwoman of the National Care Association, said the BBC's findings show the response is "patchy and inconsistent".

"The availability of tests is improving but two months in, where social care was largely ignored at the outset, we really should be much further ahead to ensure the residents and staff are protected," she said.

The BBC's research also shows that 71 of the 102 homes and providers have had some residents tested - an improvement on April when only 42 reported any residents had been tested.

Prof Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said ongoing testing was crucial.

"Testing is not a one off, it needs to be a rolling programme and used in conjunction with tracking and tracing," he said, adding that care homes needed "immediate access" to testing to ensure the safety of residents and staff.

As of 8 May nearly 10,000 people had died in English care homes with Covid-19, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Public Health England data shows that every English district, apart from the Isles of Scilly, has recorded at least one care home coronavirus outbreak.

As of last week there had been 5,876 confirmed or suspected outbreaks in care homes in England, equivalent to more than one for every three care homes.

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "Throughout this unprecedented global outbreak we have been working tirelessly with the care sector to stop the spread of the virus and save lives.

"We have based all our decisions on the best scientific and clinical advice - as a result nearly two thirds of care homes have had no outbreak at all.

"Our aim is to make it as easy, fast and simple as possible for anybody who needs to get a test to do so and by significantly increasing testing capacity we can now test all care workers and residents, regardless of symptoms."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×