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13 April 2023

New report: Bailed out and burned out? The financial impact of COVID-19 on UK care homes for older people and their workforce

Our new report reveals that government support worth over £2 billion helped the care home sector avoid financial collapse during the peak of the pandemic. 

However, when the support was removed, the sector experienced a crisis due to workforce shortages, inflation, and continuing infection outbreaks. Furthermore, only a small fraction of the additional government funding was spent directly on supporting the workforce even though the sector weathered the storm thanks to staff working longer hours and putting themselves on the line to continue to provide vital care services. 

The report offers evidence-based recommendations for policy-makers and care home providers on how to ensure the financial and operational sustainability of the sector and prepare it for future pandemics. 

It is based on: 
•    an analysis of all the publicly available financial data for accounts of 4,013 care home companies providing 377,856 beds for people aged 65 and over, 
•    a survey of 605 care home staff conducted between October 2021 and April 2022, 
•    and interviews with 43 care home staff and managers between December 2021 and April 2022.

Download it here.