Another scumbag broken promise !!!

Yet again these scumbag 'nasty party' bastards are putting lives at risk !!!


Labour MPs criticise government for abandoning care home testing pledge

Aug 2nd 2020 7:17AM
Labour MPs have criticised the government for abandoning its pledge to roll out regular coronavirus testing within care homes over the summer.

Tests for residents and staff was meant to have started on July 6 but will now be pushed back until September 7 for older people and those with dementia - according to The Sunday Times.

The delays were revealed in a leaked memo published in the newspaper written by Professor Jane Cummings, the government's adult social care testing director.

Prof Cummings wrote to local authority leaders to inform them that "previously advised timelines for rolling out regular testing incare homes" were being altered because of "unexpected delays".

Several Labour MPs criticised the move on social media after it was revealed, with some calling the situation "a total shambles".

"Weekly testing of care home residents & staff is critical to saving lives," Leicester West MP Liz Kendall tweeted on Sunday.

"Yet this won't now reach all homes for over 65s until Sept 7 & homes for under 65s won't even be able to order tests until Aug 31.

"A total shambles, ministers must get a grip."

Weekly testing of care home residents & staff is critical to saving lives. Yet this won't now reach all homes for over 65s until Sept 7 & homes for under 65s won't even be able to order tests until Aug 31. A total shambles, ministers must get a grip. Care home coronavirus testing pledge abandoned | News | The Sunday Times

— Liz Kendall (@leicesterliz) August 2, 2020
So on day govt 'paused' shielding for vulnerable people & day after PM halted easings:

�No 10 now briefing shielding for over 50s could be introduced.

�Ministers failing on pledge to test care home residents & staff.

With infections rising, people deserve better than this. pic.twitter.com/HzhwDxxTwg

— Jonathan Ashworth � (@JonAshworth) August 1, 2020
While shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "So on day govt 'paused' shielding for vulnerable people & day after PM halted easings; No 10 now briefing shielding for over 50s could be introduced, ministers failing on pledge to test care home residents & staff.

"With infections rising, people deserve better than this."

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) denied hat it had abandoned its pledge to regularly test care home residents.

But a department spokeswoman confirmed there were issues with "asymptomatic re-testing".

The problems relate to a combination of factors, including a restraint on the ability to build testing kits, already announced issues with Randox swab kits, overall lab capacity, and greater than anticipated return rate of care home test kits.

The DHSC spokeswoman said: "It is completely wrong to suggestcare homes were deliberately deprived of testing resources and any care home resident or member of staff with symptoms can immediately access a free test.

"We continue to issue at least 50,000 tests a day tocare homes across the country and prioritise tests for higher-risk outbreak areas.

"A combination of factors have meant that a more limited number of testing kits, predominantly used in care homes, are currently available for asymptomatic re-testing and we are working round the clock with providers to restore capacity."

DHSC said it would not comment on leaked documents when asked about Prof Cummings' memo.

The Tory administration has come in for criticism for failing to do more to prevent Covid-19 infections from reaching care homes, where some of the country's most vulnerable population reside, during the initial spring peak.