NEW: At least 25 people have died at a care home in Durham after an outbreak of Coronavirus. The death toll is thought to be the highest in a care home in Britain so far. Melbury Court, an 87 bed home owned by HC-One, provides a mix of residential, nursing and dementia care.
Among the victims was 92 year old Samuel Wilson. His family say they believe he contracted the virus after the care home insisted he go to hospital for day treatment. His grand-daughter told us: “In my opinion they took an unnecessary risk, a risk that cost grandad his life.”
This is Samuel who, his family say, was in fine spirits until he caught Covid19 
The owners of Melbury Lodge @HC_One told us their sympathies were with all the families who’ve lost a relative. They say the home is now in “recovery and that many residents have returned to good health”. Nationwide, the company says 946 of its residents have died of Covid19.
More people have died of Coronavirus in care homes in County Durham than anywhere else in England. Local care homes say that while national problems have contributed, the local council “pursued a policy which has caused and/or increased infections and deaths in care homes”.
Care homes say they told @DurhamCouncil an the local NHS in March not to sent Covid +ve or untested patients from hospitals into care homes. They also offered to provide a separate home - or homes - if the policy was to be pursued. The offer wasn’t accepted.
In response @DurhamCouncil said they didn’t think one care home would be big enough given the predicted level of need. They insisted they’d followed national guidelines throughout and provided homes with much support. Our full investigation:
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