More cash for care homes possible if staff are treated better, says NI health minister

Emphasising that the “frontline” in the pandemic had switched from hospitals to care homes during a press conference earlier today, Mr Swann said testing of residents and staff would be intensified.

New testing measures announced by the minister included a mobile testing service being carried out by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and the deployment of up to 40 nurses from health trusts to support testing efforts.

The minister also suggested greater investment in care homes, subject to approval by the Northern Ireland Executive, would require improved conditions for staff.

“The social care sector has been struggling for years and as a whole is not fit for purpose,” Mr Swann said.

“The structural reasons for this are well documented and are no fault of staff. Reforming social care remains one of the most difficult long-term challenges facing modern day government.

“It is beyond doubt that the sector needs much greater resilience. This is essential given the threat that will be posed by Covid-19 in the months and potentially years ahead.

“I am therefore proposing to move ahead with reform and investment plans, subject to the necessary financial support being provided by the Executive.”

Currently, the overwhelming majority of residential and nursing care homes in Northern Ireland are in the private sector.

Mr Swann continued: “As an early priority, I want to see training and terms and conditions for care home staff being standardised and improved. We will have to ensure that the return on this investment will be to the benefit of staff and residents, not the profit margins for operators.

“That means a decent wage, access to some form of sick pay, a career pathway and training to do the job safely and well.”

He added: “I accept that many providers already provide this. In the future, we must ensure that all do.”

The trade union Unison recently described the treatment of staff by some private sector care homes as “scandalous”.

The union, the largest in the Northern Ireland health service, said the pay, conditions and safety of care home workers should be reviewed.

Unison regional secretary Patricia McKeown said: “For several years Unison has been highlighting the low pay and poor conditions endured by many workers in the private care sector. We have given evidence to a multitude of reviews. As a result the exploitation of this workforce has been recognised but no action has been taken to remedy it.”

She continued: “The pandemic has brought these issues into the public arena in a dramatic way. It is scandalous that workers in care homes right at the front line of Covid-19 have been left to exist on statutory sick pay when they become ill as a result of the risks they are taking to protect the residents they care so much about.”

The union boss added: “This has to change. The pay, conditions and safety of all workers in this sector need urgently reviewed. If employers can’t or won’t do the right thing then it is time for the health service to step back in and take control.”

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