Nick Ferrari asks Business Secretary if he backs Boris in putting blame on care homes

7 July 2020, 08:22 | Updated: 7 July 2020, 09:57

Nick Ferrari asks Business Secretary Alok Sharma if he backs PM on care homes claim

Nick Ferrari asked Business Secretary Alok Sharma whether he backed the Prime Minister after he seemingly blamed care homes for the coronavirus crisis.

Boris Johnson said yesterday during a visit to Goole: “We discovered too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures in the way that they could have but we’re learning lessons the whole time.

"Most important is to fund them properly, but we will also be looking at ways to make sure the care sector long term is properly organised and supported."

That has caused a lot of anger in the care sector, but Mr Sharma insisted the Prime Minister's comments have been misinterpreted.

Asked if the PM was shifting the blame on to the care homes, Mr Sharma said: "I don't think that's what the Prime Minister was doing.

"Throughout this whole process, he's been incredibly supportive of the NHS, he's been incredibly supportive of care workers.

"The point the Prime Minister was making is that nobody knew what the correct procedures were as quite frankly at the time, we didn't know what the extend of the asymptomatic transfer was. Nobody knew this."

Johnson: We need a "proper investigation" into care homes deaths

Last week on LBC, Boris Johnson said the government needed a "proper investigation" on what happened in care homes.

A No10 spokesperson said: "Throughout this crisis care homes have done a brilliant job under very difficult circumstances. 

"The PM was pointing out that nobody knew what the correct procedures were because the extent of asymptomatic transmission was not known at the time."