- Protective equipment to be provided to keep unpaid carers and
those they care for safe
- Minister for Care encourages councils to take part as
two-thirds of local authorities already signed up to assist with
supply
- New distribution routes being set up to support delivery to
those who need it
Following a successful pilot scheme to establish the distribution
method and logistics, free PPE is now being made
available to ‘extra-resident’ unpaid carers who need it, so they
can continue to keep themselves and those they care for safe from
COVID-19 if they have to move between households.
Local authorities and local resilience forums (LRFs) were informed of the
extended PPE
offer by letter sent on 25 January, and already almost two-thirds
have signed up to support this. The Minister for Care is now calling for more to take part and help unpaid
carers in their areas to access free PPE.
Minister for Care said:
Unpaid carers are the unsung heroes of this pandemic. All too
often their kindness and devotion go unseen and unacknowledged
by society.
I know the enormous strain this pandemic has placed on those
caring for family and those they love. I’m determined to do
everything possible to support them.
Working with local authorities and voluntary organisations, we
have already improved access for carers to testing and
supported day services to stay open safely during this second
wave. I’m pleased we can now roll out free PPE for those unpaid
carers who are advised to use it.
Throughout the pandemic action has been taken to support unpaid
carers during this challenging year, including through tailored
guidance, supported access to respite as well as £500,000 to
Carers Trust to help combat loneliness.
As key workers, unpaid carers are also able to access priority
testing when they have symptoms through the government’s testing
portal.
Professor Deborah Sturdy OBE, Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care,
said:
It is important everything is done to protect those who are
vulnerable and the people who care for them.
Unpaid carers provide a fundamental pillar supporting our
social care system and have the gratitude of a nation for their
work before, during and after this pandemic.
The scientific advice is to wear PPE while caring and we
are ensuring extra-resident unpaid carers can now access this
for free.
The provision of free PPE to unpaid carers
builds on the government’s commitment to provide free
PPE until at
the least the end of June 2021 to the adult social care sector.
Over 8.1 billion items of PPE have been distributed
to protect our health and social care staff.
The government’s infection prevention control guidance has been
continually reviewed and has evolved over time in response to the
changing epidemiology of COVID-19 and the emergence of new
evidence and science.
As part of this, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies
(SAGE) social care working group has recommended that unpaid,
extra-resident carers should follow the same PPE procedures recommended
for domiciliary care workers.
Work with local authorities has begun to set up distribution
systems nationwide following a successful pilot scheme.
Financial support is also available for local authorities and
LRFs to support the
roll-out, and following information sessions the majority of
local authorities have signed up and more are expected.
A number of unpaid carers have been prioritised for the vaccine
as part of cohort 6, in line with the independent advice of the
Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. These include
those who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or those who are
the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may
be at risk if the carer falls ill.
Plans will be set out to further vaccinate other groups in due
course.
