Coronavirus: St Helens leaders feared pandemic was coming

While discussing the local response to the coronavirus crisis this week. Labour’s Marlene Quinn, St Helens Council’s cabinet member for adult social care, said the threat of a pandemic had been discussed by the People’s Board.

The People’s Board is made up of representatives from various organisations, including St Helens Council, the NHS, St Helens CCG and Merseyside Police.

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It was formally constituted in 2017 and has overseen the development of ‘St Helens Cares’, the borough’s integrated care system that was created in response to rising costs and increasing demand within health and care.

Speaking at Wednesday’s virtual cabinet meeting, Cllr Quinn said: “Pre-COVID, we set our budget, we knew we had growing demand, predominantly in all services but particularly in children’s and adult’s social care.

“We also knew that we had to make savings – that’s what the government says they are, I refer to them as cuts – but we worked well in delivering quality services that were pertinent to the needs of our communities and putting appropriate funding in when needed.

“Sadly, even though we’ve raised it that local government was being hit harder than any other public service, local government was taking the brunt of it.

“And yet a pandemic comes along and it’s local government in the main that is picking up all the requests, instructions, guidance – whatever the government throws at it.

Cllr Marlene Quinn, St Helens Council's cabinet member for adult social care

“I’m proud to say St Helens has stood up to it, with our partners around the People’s Board, and that we’veestablished good, working relationships.

“But make no bones about this, prior to COVID, when we sat down, we knew that a pandemic was on the verge of hitting.”

Cllr Quinn said she had warned during these discussions that care homes would be hit hard if a pandemic reached our shores.

And the Labour councillor blasted the Tory Party for the devastating cuts it has subjected local authorities during a decade of austerity.

Over the last ten years the general government grant has been cut by £90 million per year, a 71 per cent reduction, equating to £507 less per person.

Despite the challenges, Cllr Quinn said the integration work, and the good working relationships it has helped establish, has helped the authority in its response to the pandemic.

Since the start of the outbreak, 156 people have died in the borough’s care homes, based on death notifications provided to the council by care providers.

Out of those, 71 deaths have been linked to coronavirus, with 18 occurring at St Helens Hall and Lodge Care Home, in Thatto Heath.

Sandstone Care Group, which operates St Helens Hall and Lodge, said there have been no deaths or positive cases at the home for almost three weeks.

And the latest data points to a much-improved picture, with 13 people testing positive for COVID-19 in care homes in the week up to May 22, compared to 69 confirmed cases the week previously – a decrease of 81 per cent.

Ten people died during that period, with two deaths suspected of being linked to COVID-19.

18 deaths have been linked to COVID-19 at St Helens Hall & Lodge in Thatto Heath (image courtesy of Google Maps)

“I said care homes were going to be the biggest challenge within adult health and social care, and sadly, that has been justified in what I said,” Cllr Quinn said.

“I am pleased to say that in St Helens, whilst the numbers are high – and them numbers are people’s families – they’re not just numbers, they’re somebody’s mother and father. Someone’s brother and sister, but we knew that our care homes would be hit hardest.

“Adult health and social care had well established, good relationships with all our providers and deliverers of service, alongside NHS, CCG, and I think that has put us in a better place.

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“But nothing, no mechanisms, no practice that we have in place can make up for the blatant theft that this government and past Tory governments have actually forced on local government.

“It has been blatant theft and I really do hope that they look at this open-heartedly, honestly and justify or attempt to justify what they did to local government.”