Written questions, answers and statements

Home Care Services: Coronavirus

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Question for Department of Health and Social Care

UIN 90029, tabled on 15 September 2020

Question

Clive Efford
Labour
Eltham
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure domiciliary care workers are regularly tested for covid-19.

This answer is the replacement for a previous holding answer.

Answer

Helen Whately
Conservative
Faversham and Mid Kent
Commons

Answered on

28 October 2020

Asymptomatic testing for domiciliary care workers (also known as home care workers) is guided by the results from the Public Health England prevalence study into domiciliary care. This study found that COVID-19 prevalence among domiciliary care workers was similar to prevalence in the general population. Regular testing for the domiciliary care workforce is was not advised unless recommended by local risk assessments or in response to local outbreaks. Symptomatic staff should continue to access priority testing via the pillar 2 testing service. We are currently reviewing the implications of increased infection rates for asymptomatic testing in domiciliary care.

Answered by

Department of Health and Social Care
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