"It's embarrassing": Nick Ferrari grills Care Minister over failures in care homes

15 April 2020, 10:01 | Updated: 7 June 2023, 08:56

Nick Ferrari grills Care Minister over failures in care homes

Nick Ferrari challenged the Care Minister over why the government can't include deaths in care homes in the totals of people killed by coronavirus.

The Government is promising all care home residents and staff with symptoms of coronavirus are going to be tested. Currently, only the first five residents with symptoms are being tested to prove there is an outbreak.

Currently, Covid-19 deaths outside hospitals are not reflected in the daily figures and Nick Ferrari told her it was "embarrassing" that other countries' numbers are superior to our own.

Speaking on his LBC show, Nick Ferrari said: "It is at the least rather embarrassing, isn't it, that countries such as Italy, France and Spain have included the number of deaths in care homes, but the United Kingdom have failed. That is embarrassing, isn't it?"

Ms Whatley responded: "Well, I think it just depends on the system that you have for collecting the data."

But Nick told her: "Yes, their's are superior, aren't they? They have a better way."

The Minister continued: "My understanding is countries have had problems with the accuracy and usefulness of some of the data they have.

"Until a few weeks ago, no one had any problems, no one was complaining about the way we were certifying deaths."

Again, Nick pointed out: "We weren't in the teeth of the coronavirus crisis, then of course."

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Ms Whatley said: "That is why we are changing - and have been working for some time - to change the data methods."

Nick really challenged the Care Minister throughout the interview - watch it at the top of the page.