Covid: Positive Anglesey care home staff cover shift amid shortage

A care home owner has said she was "forced" to ask two staff with Covid-19 to work because of a staff shortage.

The Caledonia home in Holyhead, Anglesey, said 11 of its 12 residents had Covid and the two staff only cared for residents who were also positive.

Ann Bedford said Anglesey council and an agency had both been unable to provide emergency cover for staff who were sick or isolating.

After speaking to social services, it was agreed the staff could work.

Anglesey council said it worked closely with the care home since the staffing shortages had been brought to its attention.

Ms Bedford has run the home, which specialises in dementia care, since 1987 and said it had been increasingly difficult to recruit staff over the past decade. The situation now has "no spare capacity in the system", she said.

There are usually between 13 and 15 staff including a manager, two full-time carers, 11 part-time staff, two cooks and two cleaners at the home.

Last weekend there were only three day staff, no cleaners, one cook and no night staff.

The two Covid-positive staff came in to cover the night shift.

By Wednesday morning, Ms Bedford had one person to work with the 12 residents.

"I have never known a situation as bad as we faced over the last weekend. As a matter of course we have contingency plans in place to cope in emergencies but even these buckled under the strain," she said.

"My heart sinks when I think about the weeks and months ahead.

"We felt abandoned and alone. I called on social services for help but they were facing their own emergencies.

"The shortage of carers on Anglesey is at dangerous levels and is being intensified by the pandemic."

One care agency which she asked to help with temporary staff told her "you must be joking", saying they were overwhelmed with requests.

Ms Bedford said after speaking to social services and the Care Council of Wales, it was agreed if staff felt well enough they could come in to work.

She praised the two staff who volunteered to come in, adding: "The night shift is tough and extremely tiring. It really knocked them for six and both these staff are now suffering much more from the symptomatic effects of Covid.

"I am so grateful to them but this is a situation which should not have been allowed to happen."

She said the authorities had suggested transferring staff from another home she runs nearby, Plas Dyffryn, but she said it would have put staff and residents there at increased risk and was not an option.

"It is also not feasible because we simply do not have enough care staff on our books to stretch that thinly, and the Caledonia is specialised for dementia care so staff here need to be trained in those highly specific skills," she added.

She described staff as worn out and "on their knees" from the pandemic and the lack of personnel available to work.

"What's happened to me is frightening everybody (other care home managers) - we fought so hard and kept Covid out of the homes, but a lot of homes have got it," she said.

Anglesey council said in a statement: "Decisions in respect of emergency care provision at the Caledonia have been taken in the best interest of residents.

"We would reject claims that this private care home was abandoned. Our officers, together with colleagues in health, have worked very closely with Ms Bedford to respond to her staffing shortages since this issue was brought to our attention."

A spokesman said they had worked to identify shift cover until the weekend to ensure residents did not have to leave their home.

A team has also been convened to manage the incident at the home.

The crisis rose just before Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Tuesday National Insurance contributions would rise to fund social care and NHS reforms.

In Wales, a proportion of the funds raised at a UK level will be allocated to spend on health and care services, expected to be about £700m by 2024-25.

The Welsh government said: "We know the sector is under exceptional pressure but we are very concerned to hear a report of staff being asked to work despite testing positive for Covid. We are looking into the circumstances as a matter of urgency.

"We continue to support the sector at this difficult time and have provided local authorities with £50m of additional funding to help deal with these staffing challenges."