A carehome worker who says half her residents died of Covid says she is "livid" and "disgusted" at Matt Hancock's leaked messages alleging he rejected expert advice. Michelle Turner, 56, worked in care homes throughout the pandemic and is horrified by the allegations the then health secretary rejected advice to test people going into care homes.
The allegations, leaked from WhatsApp messages which emerged this week, have been strongly denied by Matt Hancock. The mum-of-two worked 60 hour weeks and her home became ravaged by Covid in December 2020 and she watched half of the residents die.
Michelle said staff were struck down by the sickness and had to isolate - and they didn't have the capacity to sit beside dying patients so they died on their own. Michelle said she felt "forgotten" and "unappreciated" as the government didn't reward carers in England a £500 bonus as they did in Wales and Scotland but "clapped for them".
Michelle from Hastings, East Sussex said: "It was horrendous, all hell broke lose in the care homes. I felt forgotten and unappreciated.
"We got clapped, what a slap in the face. Don't clap us, give us a pay rise. We got nothing except a stupid tin badge. It makes you feel sick that we could've been tested and lives could've been saved. I am livid and disgusted.
Subscribe here for the latest news where you live
"At the time we couldn't test them, we didn't know it was Covid and it went down hill really rapidly." Michelle realised she had Covid in December 2020 after her temperature soared at the end of a 12-hour shift. She said: "Staff were dropping like flies, I had to isolate for 11 days. Most of the residents had dementia and had no immunity.
"They didn't have the mental capacity to realise what was going on and we couldn't admit them to hospital. You'd go into one room to make someone comfortable and by the time you got to another room they were dead. Normally we can sit with someone when we know they're going to pass, we couldn't even do that, there wasn't enough staff." Michelle worked over 60 hours a week to step in for sick staff.
Her home housed 25 residents and 13 passed away due to Covid. She said: "Relatives couldn't see their loved ones for months.
"Trying to isolate people with dementia in their rooms made them worse, they didn't understand, it was truly horrendous. I remember one particular day we were short-staffed and exhausted. A resident had a fall and their head was bleeding, I rang the emergency bell. Two other staff came and I ran down to grab some towels.
"The cleaner had sprayed disinfectant on the floor and I skidded and fell and banged my head on the door. I just burst into tears, I was so tired." Michelle said the clap for carers was "insulting" as carers in England didn't receive a pay rise or a £500 bonus - as they did in Scotland and Wales. She said: "I feel very angry and I know the families of lost loved ones must be even angrier.
"That winter was brutal and it was disrespectful they released people into care homes without testing them How dare they [the government] disregard us like peasants - they didn't give us anything."
