Mark Adams chief executive of Community Integrated Care is clearly furious with @BorisJohnson for blaming care homes for covid deaths. Tells @BBCr4today PM has shown a "cowardly" "travesty of leadership" and now resorting to "Kafkaesque" rewriting of history.
His words are the most withering of any charity chief I've ever heard on the PM's handling of the pandemic.
@Keir_Starmer's #PMQs have just been effectively written. And probably Labour's attack ads.
@Keir_Starmer's #PMQs have just been effectively written. And probably Labour's attack ads.
Adams says 1.6m social care workers, "brave people on minimum wage often with no sickness cover", being blamed by the most senior politician in the country is "appalling".
"To get a throwaway comment almost glibly blaming the social care system and not holding your hands up for starting too late, doing the wrong things, making mistake after mistake is frankly unacceptable."
The whole of social care has had to source 90% of its PPE, govt abandoned testing early on then didnt test social care until end of May. Says his care homes had most "losses" (deaths) before any testing started. Then staff/residents tested "once" but that was "absolutely useless"
Says he's been calling for months for weekly or twice weekly testing of care homes, and weekly testing has only just been approved by @MattHancock
No10 desperately trying to clarify PM's remarks. But on this topic of all topics, it seems extraordinary his line needs clarifying at all. His words felt like another part of the pre public inquiry softening up exercise (similar to briefings against PHE and even Sage).
Breaking: No.10 refusing to apologise for PM's remarks about care home deaths.
PM spokesman: “He was pointing out that nobody knew what the correct procedures were at the time...because the extent of asymptomatic transmission was not known."
PM spokesman: “He was pointing out that nobody knew what the correct procedures were at the time...because the extent of asymptomatic transmission was not known."
Full new story here: huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/boris-jo…
Here is the full exchange between Lobby journalists and the PM's official spokesman on demands for an apology.
Read in all its glory:
Read in all its glory:
@MattHancock just repeated almost word for word the No.10 line-to-take.
That exchange with the PM's spokesman is also a neat reminder that although the Lobby is off camera, it is not some 'cosy club' of stenographers for this govt. That honour goes to others.
Had a chat with Mark Adams, the care home chief who went viral earlier today.
Here's his verdict on No.10's "Trumpian" response.
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/boris-jo…
Here's his verdict on No.10's "Trumpian" response.
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/boris-jo…
