‘Cruel and pointless’: families react with anger to Covid inquiry report on care homes

Bereaved relatives say policy of isolating residents caused immense emotional harm, as inquiry finds care sector was an 'afterthought'

By LineZotpaper

Published21 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Families of care home residents who died during the Covid-19 pandemic have expressed deep anger at the findings of the public inquiry's latest report, which concluded that the entire care sector was an 'afterthought' to government planners and that blanket restrictions led to 'profound isolation''. Relatives say they feel vindicated but also furious that their loved ones suffered unnecessarily.

The public inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic published its latest report this week, laying bare the devastating impact of government policy on care home residents. It concluded that the claim by the then health secretary, Matt Hancock, to have put a 'protective ring'' around residents was entirely unfounded. Instead, the decision to discharge untested patients from hospitals into care homes allowed the virus to spread 'like wildfire', while blanket restrictions on outside contact caused 'immense emotional harm'.

For many families, the findings came as no surprise. Amy, 39, from Milton Keynes, described the policy of isolating residents as 'cruel and pointless'. Her maternal grandparents, Eva and Eric, were separated into different care homes during the first lockdown after more than 60 years of marriage. Eric, who was desperately lonely and isolated, caught Covid in 2022 and died shortly after she finally saw him on a hospital ward. 'I can never get that time with them back,' she said.

Roger Dennison’s father, Lucius, was a 90-year-old care home resident when the pandemic began. After the home locked down, the only contact Roger could have was through a window opened a few inches at the top. The experience was too distressing and they stopped. Lucius caught Covid in the first wave and died in April 2020.

Catherine Bennett, a retired teacher from Lewes, said her father felt a 'terrible sense of abandonment' and became paralysingly afraid of catching the virus. He stopped going down for meals and died in 2022. Diana, a retired social worker from Derby, said her sister Helen, who had mental health needs, experienced bewilderment at her sudden isolation. Diana was finally able to sit with her after a year of lockdown when Helen was very unwell; she died the same day.

A former care home worker from West Yorkshire, who asked not to be named, described the terrifying situation from the start. He recalled having to strip naked at his back door after a resident returned from hospital who had shared a ward with Covid patients. 'Our first case of Covid was about a week later,' he said. The mental health impact on staff was huge. 'Watching people die at such a high rate in such a small space of time ... Mentally, we were all spent.'

Analysis

Why This Matters

The report confirms that government policy caused widespread harm to care home residents, many of whom died isolated from loved ones.
Families feel their trauma has been validated but are angry that such suffering was deemed necessary at the time.
The findings may lead to renewed calls for accountability and reform of the care sector.

Background

The Covid-19 public inquiry was established to examine the UK's preparedness and response to the pandemic. This latest report focused specifically on the impact on care homes, a setting that was particularly vulnerable. The report found that planning failed to prioritise the sector and that infection control measures, while intended to protect, often inflicted severe emotional damage.

Key Perspectives

Families of residents: They describe lasting anger and a sense that their loved ones were abandoned. Many say the isolation was more harmful than the virus itself, and they view the inquiry's conclusions as confirmation of what they already knew. Care workers: Those on the front line report immense distress, lack of protective equipment, and the trauma of watching residents die in rapid succession. They feel the system failed both them and the people they cared for.

What to Watch

The government's formal response to the inquiry's recommendations, expected in the coming months.
Potential legal action from bereaved families seeking compensation or an apology.
Debate over whether the care home reforms promised after the pandemic have been delivered.

Sources

No surprise and lasting anger: families of people who died in care homes react to Covid inquiry report · World news | The Guardian

Checked

9 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 3 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedBereaved relatives say the policy of isolating residents caused immense emotional harm.World news | The Guardian: “The inquiry concluded that the entire care sector had been an “afterthought” to government planners, and that a claim by the then health secretary, Matt Hancock, to have put a “protective ring” around residents was entirely unfounded. Instead, the decision to discharge untested patients from hospitals into care homes led to the virus spreading “like wildfire”, while blanket restrictions on outside contact led to “immense emotional harm” and “profound isolation” for vulnerable residents.”
Not in the sourcesRelatives feel vindicated by the findings.
Not in the sourcesTheir loved ones suffered unnecessarily.
SupportedThe inquiry found the entire care sector was an afterthought to government planners.World news | The Guardian: “The inquiry concluded that the entire care sector had been an “afterthought” to government planners”
SupportedThe claim by then health secretary Matt Hancock that he had put a protective ring around residents was entirely unfounded.World news | The Guardian: “a claim by the then health secretary, Matt Hancock, to have put a “protective ring” around residents was entirely unfounded.”
SupportedThe decision to discharge untested patients from hospitals into care homes led to the virus spreading.World news | The Guardian: “the decision to discharge untested patients from hospitals into care homes led to the virus spreading “like wildfire””
Partly supportedThe headline’s phrase “Cruel and pointless” represents families’ reaction to the report.World news | The Guardian: “the latest report from the public inquiry into the pandemic, published this week, has convinced Amy that the policy of isolating residents was “cruel and pointless”, she says.”
Partly supportedThe window was the only contact Roger could have with his father after the care home locked down.World news | The Guardian: “the only way Dennison could talk to his dad was through a window that had been opened a few inches at the top. ... After that, Dennison ... was reliant on passing messages through staff”
Not in the sourcesThe West Yorkshire care home worker was a former worker.World news | The Guardian