Government failures in care settings created an environment that allowed COVID-19 to spread "like wildfire," an official inquiry has stated. The sixth report from the UK's COVID-19 inquiry concluded that the care sector was treated as an "afterthought" in the early stages of the pandemic, with no "protective ring" as ministers had claimed.

Between March 2020 and July 2022, more than 43,000 deaths involving COVID-19 were recorded in care homes across the UK. The 287-page report highlighted critical issues including shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) for care workers and criticized the practice of discharging hospital patients into care homes without adequate isolation measures.

Baroness Hallett, the inquiry chair, stated that a combination of insufficient testing, a lack of PPE, and inadequate pre-pandemic planning, alongside policy decisions early in the crisis, fostered conditions for the virus to spread unchecked. She emphasized that the primary focus of the UK government and devolved administrations was on protecting hospitals, leaving those living and working in care homes inadequately protected during the critical initial phase of the pandemic.

The inquiry found that claims by then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock of a "protective ring" around care homes were unfounded. Staff were forced to use makeshift PPE, such as bin bags and ponchos, due to severe shortages. While the discharge of hospital patients into care homes was deemed understandable, the report noted that guidance on isolating these individuals was insufficient in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, constituting a significant oversight.

Financial support for care workers at the pandemic's outset was lacking, making it difficult for infected staff to stay home and prevent transmission. The report also pointed to pre-existing weaknesses in the care sector, such as financial struggles and staff shortages, which exacerbated the impact of the virus.

Furthermore, the inquiry found that by September 2020, evidence suggested visitors posed only a marginal infection risk. However, many care homes did not ease restrictions in line with updated guidance, leading to a decline in residents' health and wellbeing. The report also indicated instances of blanket "do not resuscitate" orders being unlawfully implemented in some care homes.

Millions of unpaid carers faced increasing demands and struggled due to a lack of support. A spokesperson for the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK described the report as a "devastating account of one of the darkest episodes in our country's history," asserting that the government knew the sector's vulnerability but "failed to act until it was too late."

The inquiry's findings underscore the devastating consequences of delayed and insufficient action, leaving vulnerable populations exposed during the health crisis.