Special care unit opens in Wakefield for elderly Covid patients

Care home operators, ADVINIA Health Care, has responded to calls from the Department of Health and Social Care who are looking at ways to free up hospital space, boost critical care capacity, and reduce the cross-infection that happened in the first wave of the pandemic.

The government is looking to ensure every local authority has access to at least one CQC designated setting.

The care provider, which has opened the unit at the West Riding Care Home, has set up stand-alone properties within multi-unit care home sites across the Midlands and North to address the predicted overflow of Covid-positive patients from established NHS locations.

Extra protection has been put in place in these segregated units, which will be inspected by the Care Quality Commission. Each will be staffed with its own dedicated team, with no cross-over with the existing facilities, and to maximise infection control there are dedicated access points and all ancillary services, including food and laundry, will be sourced separately and under strict procedures.

Visiting pods have also been installed to facilitate the safe interaction of families and residents in a comfortable environment.

Chairman and Founder Dr Sanjeev Kanoria, a former NHS liver surgeon and healthcare entrepreneur, who spearheaded the project, said: “The wellbeing and quality of life of our residents remains our absolute priority.

"We are doing all we can to ensure that they are as safe and well-cared for as possible during this challenging time. We have consistently demonstrated that, in spite of operating on much tighter budgets, care homes are significantly safer places to be than hospitals for vulnerable people due to the stringent hygiene standards and our committed, well-trained staff.”

He added “Unlike many care operators, we have estates with multiple buildings so we can provide effective isolation units for those discharged from hospitals.

"We all have a responsibility to do what we can to help our country and the NHS move beyond this challenging time. It is time social and health care came together to work in partnership”