Community gift-wraps thanks for 'amazing work' of Atherstone care home as shocking Covid death toll outside hospitals revealed for first time

BRACEBRIDGE COURT PUTS ON 'VERY HAPPY FACE' AS PROVIDERS ACROSS THE UK NOTIFY AUTHORITIES OF 4,343 FATALITIES IN A FORTNIGHT

GRATEFUL families are making sure the frontline heroes at an Atherstone care home are not "forgotten" as the true scale of the coronavirus tragedy outside hospitals was revealed with more than 4,000 deaths reported for the first time.

Staff at Bracebridge Court have been showered with gifts, love and prayers for their "amazing work" while the Office of National Statistics unveiled the toll of lost lives in care facilities across the UK in the space of 14 days.

The warm sentiments from the Atherstone community came wrapped inside cakes, sweets, drinks plus headbands, masks and wash bags which enable health workers to take off their uniforms at the end of a shift, place them in the material mini-laundry bags which can then go straight into the wash – limiting the spread of infection from work to home.

And a spokeswoman for the Friary Road home said the kind wishes were "really appreciated" by the staff who feel "proud to be in such a lovely community".

The home, putting on a "very happy face" as it goes about giving the "fullest support" to residents in these perilous times, said a number of its workforce were currently self-isolating.

Dawn Culwick typified the affection and regard with which care home staff are regarded, posting: "Thank you all.

"You are amazing and we are eternally grateful for the care and respect you give. Take care, and stay safe."

Care home providers notified the Care Quality Commission of 4,343 deaths of residents in homes between April 10 and 24, the ONS said.

It is the first time the CQC death notifications for suspected or confirmed Covid-19 in care homes have been published.

The new source of care home data comes alongside the ONS's weekly release, which showed total number of deaths involving Covid-19 in England up to April 17 (and which were registered up to April 25), was 39 per cent higher than the equivalent NHS total.

The ONS figures show there were 21,284 deaths involving Covid-19 over that period, compared with 15,293 deaths in hospitals in England for the same period, reported by NHS England.

This is because the ONS figures include all mentions of Covid-19 on a death certificate, including suspected Covid-19, as well as deaths in the community.

The NHS figures only include deaths in hospitals where a patient has been tested for Covid-19.

Overall in England and Wales, almost four in 10 deaths up to April 17 (39.2 per cent) were coronavirus-related.

There were 22,351 provisional deaths registered in England and Wales over the seven days – 11,854 more than the five-year average.

Of these, 8,758 mentioned 'novel coronavirus'.

And of the deaths involving Covid-19, just over three-quarters (77.4 per cent) took place in hospital with the remainder occurring in care homes, private homes and hospices.

Up to April 17, the ONS said there were 4,316 coronavirus-related deaths occurring outside of hospital in England and Wales.

Of these some 3,096 took place in care homes, 883 in private homes, 190 in hospices, 61 in other communal establishments and 86 elsewhere.

The equivalent figure for hospital deaths over this period is 14,796.

Last week Dr Hans Kluge, the World Health Organisation's regional director for Europe, said residents in care homes could account for nearly half of coronavirus deaths across Europe

Dr Kluge said many were "particularly vulnerable to this virus" that has swept across the globe.

He said the deaths had been an "unimaginable human tragedy", adding: "Those dying in homes from Covid-19 have the right to be attended to and to receive end of life care including symptom relief with adequate medication surrounded by their loved ones.

"The dedicated, compassionate people working in long-term care facilities who are so often overstretched, underpaid and unprotected are the unsung heroes of this pandemic."

Social care is an "afterthought" for the Government and public, one care homes boss has said.

Jeremy Richardson, chief executive of Four Seasons care homes, said the NHS would "fall over" without the social care sector, but attention was focused on the health service at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

He said last week: "There is no doubt in my mind that the health system is split into two parts: there's the NHS and that is revered quite rightly because it does a fabulous job, and social care is a bit of an afterthought.

"I think that is symptomatic of how the country views social care, not just this Government."

He added: "If you took the social care system away, the NHS would fall over.

In fact, a lot of the reason the NHS is able to do the great work it does is because it is supported by the social care system."

However, Mr Richardson hopes Covid-19 will have reversed this perception and given people a greater appreciation for those who work in the care sector.

He said: "If anything good comes from this crisis, it could be that the spotlight is shone on social care and it's seen for what it is, which is a really important part contributing to UK society.

"My hope would be that this isn't just a moment in time, that we don't get through this pandemic and forget about the contributions these people are making."

So far, there have been 240 Covid-19-related deaths in the 187 care homes Mr Richardson looks after, and 11 per cent of staff are off due to self-isolation, he said.

Adding the new ONS statistics of 4,343 deaths to hospital deaths in the UK puts the real Covid toll at 25,435.

This figure pus the UK in third place in the global death tally behind Italy (26,977) and the US (56,803). The world total is now 212,336.

The UK has seen its confirmed cases pass the 150,000 mark – up a further 4,310 to 157,149.

Hospital deaths rose 360 in the last 24 hours to 21,092.

Towns, cities and counties in the West and East Midlands and North West continue to be on a steeper curve in case increases than London and the South East.

Kent's numbers of people testing positive is still rising faster than anywhere in the UK.

It recorded another 47 cases in the last 24 hours and retains the 'hot spot' for coronavirus in the upper tier local authority table with 3,232 people testing positive for the virus – Birmingham saw 46 new cases and remains in second spot with 2,705.

Warwickshire has 1,054 confirmed cases (23 up on yesterday), Coventry is on 629 (up eight) – Atherstone's neighbouring county Staffordshire is in 10th place has 1,595cases (up 35) and Leicestershire 858 (up 22).

By region, London now has 23,883 cases (up 275), East and West Midlands is 18,359 (up 384) combined, the North West 17,483 (up 394) and the South East 16,128 (up 318).

Today, the nation fell silent at 11am to honour frontline fallen in the battle to control coronavirus.