Viral mix affecting Bolton care homes described as winter starting in August
THE âviral mixâ affecting Boltonâs care sector has been described by a health chief as âwinter starting in Augustâ.
Of the 57 care homes in Bolton, two are currently closed to new admissions due to Covid outbreaks, three after a respiratory virus broke out and another seven are on a Covid watch list, meaning there is the potential for an imminent outbreak.
Winter vomiting bug norovirus is also more prevalent than normal.
The âperfect stormâ of winter pressures is compounded by a staffing shortage with workers leaving the sector and a further 51 staff, who have refused to be vaccinated, being forced to leave the sector on November 11 as new legislation comes into force.
There are currently 180 people awaiting care packages in the borough with a predicted shortfall in available beds of around 100.
A meeting of Bolton Councilâs health scrutiny committee heard from Tracey Minshull, the councilâs assistant director for social care and public health commissioning.
She presented a paper titled âWinter Planningâ to the committee.
She, said: âWhile this report is titled winter pressures it hasnât been a winter pressure issue. Winter for us in adult social care started in August.
âWe are seeing a viral mix of issues which are compounding the situation.
âWeâve had outbreaks of respiratory disease, Covid outbreaks, flu outbreaks and we have norovirus, which is more prevalent than previously.
âThis week in Bolton we have two homes closed to Covid, meaning no new admissions, three homes closed to respiratory outbreaks, and seven homes on a Covid watch list which are homes where there is potential for an imminent outbreak.
âIn August we saw a childrenâs respiratory outbreak which we would not normally see.
âIn October A&E attendances were more than 500 a day which is significantly higher than we would expect.
âEarlier this month we had 180 people awaiting care packages and we have bed modelling which predicts a shortfall of 100 beds.â
She said there was also a significant increase in demand for home care services at the same time as a declining workforce in the sector.
Job vacancies are rising with some workers leaving the sector to work in hotels and hospitality.
She said the situation was a âperfect storm, very challengingâ.
On the November 11 deadline for care workers to be vaccinated to work in the sector she said 2.3 per cent of staff in Bolton had refused to be jabbed.
She said: ââWe still have 51 staff members who have refused to have the vaccination. That means that potentially, in an already struggling situation, because of the change in legislation, we will lose those staff because they are choosing to leave the industry.â
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