A grieving son fears care home residents with coronavirus are being “sacrificed” by the Government.
Robert Amison, 58, spoke out after his dad Matthew, 86, known as Reg, died at Stoke’s Bradwell Hall Nursing Home days after testing positive.
The beloved grandad-of-seven went to hospital with a cough and temperature on March 24, but he rallied and was discharged.
The next day his wife Dorothy and family were told he had Covid-19. He died on March 30 with a carer by his side
Robert said: “I’d say they’ve been sacrificed.
“When they locked the homes down, we were happy thinking [Dad] would be safe.
"The carers cared a hell of a lot but they were asking for donations for PPE.
"Why did they not get the protection out sooner?
“The attitude is [the elderly] have had their day. They’re don’t matter.”
Care homes scandal
The Sunday People has desperately fought to shine a light on the scandal unfolding in care homes across the UK.
Covid-19 has created unprecedented challenges for NHS staff, emergency services and all frontline workers.
But we have been at the forefront of campaigning for action over the emerging human tragedy in residential homes for the elderly.
Even in the early days of the pandemic, the Sunday People told how care homes were a “ticking time-bomb”.
Four weeks ago – on April 5 – experts warned on these pages that the spread of virus through old people’s residential homes would lead to widespread loss of life.
And we told how elderly Covid-19 patients were dying in agony because their care home staff could not provide adequate end-of-life care.
Last week we reported calls for corona-stricken care home residents to be evacuated and be treated by medical teams at the country’s emergency nightingale hospitals – many of which currently have scores of empty beds.
After our report, Cabinet minister Dominic Raab, who has filled in for Boris Johnson during the PM’s recovery from coronavirus, confirmed the Government was looking into moving virus-hit residents to the temporary hospitals to protect other residents.
