Care Home Visiting restrictions in the spotlight – Update December 2021

For the December 2021 Ridout Report I wrote about the care home visiting guidelines that had been updated by the Government on 25 November 2021. Now just three weeks later the government has made additional amendments to the guidelines in light of further information on the spread of the Omicron variant and the effectiveness of vaccines.

Providers are advised to read the guidance in full to ensure their visiting policies and procedures reflect the most recent guidelines but I set out below some of the key additional changes that have been made to the guidance as of 15 December 2021.

• The number of visitors who can visit regularly is now limited. Each care home resident can now nominate up to 3 visitors who will be able to enter the care home for regular visits (this doesn’t include essential care givers or pre-school age children).
• Care providers are advised to manage the number of visitors attending at any one time to ensure safe visiting practices.
• Subject to a risk assessment by the Health Protection Team (HPT), outbreak controls may be in place for up to 28 days following the last positive case, especially in light of emerging information on the vaccine effectiveness and the severity of the Omicron variant.
• Visitors who are not legally required to self-isolate but have been identified as a close contact of someone with Covid-19 are advised against visiting the care home for 10 days unless absolutely necessary, even if they are fully vaccinated. Where such visits do occur visitors should have received a negative PCR test prior to the visit and had a negative lateral flow test result on the day of their visit.
• Anyone who is fully vaccinate, and has been identified as a close contact of a confirmed case of the Omicron variant does not need to self-isolate if they receive a negative PCR test result and take daily lateral flow tests until 10 days after their last exposure to the positive case.

The guidance still remains clear that there is an expectation that providers facilitate visits wherever possible in a risk managed way. Through its inspection and monitoring activity the CQC will be looking for Providers to demonstrate how they’re following the latest visiting guidance, with risk assessments to support their approach. It is expected that Providers will be sharing clear, transparent and regular communications with families and residents about visiting. The CQC will consider enforcement action if it finds providers operating blanket policies in contravention to residents human rights.?