The Government has responded to a High Court ruling that its policies on discharging hospital patients into care homes at the start of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic were “unlawful”. The ruling undermines claims that a “protective ring” was put in place for the most vulnerable.
Cathy Gardner, whose father Michael Gibson died, and Fay Harris, whose father Donald died, both from Covid-19, partially succeeded in their claims against the then health secretary and Public Health England.
When the pandemic hit in early 2020, hospital patients were discharged into care homes without testing, despite growing awareness of the risk of asymptomatic transmission, with Government documents showing there was no requirement for this until mid-April.
