One of the UK’s leading authorities on public health has warned that a new global pandemic is inevitable.
Care homes were left unprepared, over-exposed and vulnerable as Covid-19 swept the UK in 2020.
And now those on the frontline of social care are being urged to remain vigilant and prepare for the worst case scenario after claims that some protective measures instituted after the coronavirus pandemic hit have since been abandoned.
“It is worth saying that it [a pandemic] will happen again,” said Eugene Milne, Newcastle’s former director of public health. “The history of humankind is that pandemics happen. We don’t know when and don’t know whether it will be similar.
“Another pandemic could have quite a different profile next. I think the fact that people remember it in their lifetime will be helpful.
“But one of the things I find disappointing is that there were things that we started doing in the pandemic that, from a public health point of view, I would have liked to have seen continue.”
Care homes were expected to implement emergency measures at short notice in the spring of 2020 but Prof Milne, who was awarded an MBE in 2023, hopes the lessons learned from an incredibly challenging period will form a more robust and rapid response should a second pandemic strike.
He added that he would have liked to see the Lighthouse Lab mass testing centres protected to maintain what became an established ‘rapid detection and prevention service’ but pointed out that ‘a lot of that seemed to be abandoned really quickly’.
Callum Thompson, CEO of Business Energy Claims, said: “The prospect of a future pandemic is real and we know that the care home sector requires significant support to prepare for the future.
“Everyone remembers what a tough time it was for residents, care providers and management at the height of the Covid-19 outbreak and we need to be here to help where we can.
“Nobody can predict another series of events like we saw in 2020 but we can help care home providers and managers to get to grips with their energy bills and ensure they’re getting a fair deal in 2025.”