Thirty families are starting legal action against the government, care homes and several hospitals in England over the deaths of their relatives in the early days of the Covid pandemic. The families argue not enough was done to protect their loved ones from the virus. They are claiming damages for loss of life and the distress caused.
The legal claims focus on the decision in March 2020 to rapidly discharge hospital patients into care homes without testing or a requirement for them to isolate.
The cases follow a 2022 High Court judgement that ruled the government policy was unlawful - as it failed to take into account the risk to elderly and vulnerable care home residents of asymptomatic transmission of the virus.
Between early March and early June 2020, nearly 20,000 care home residents in England and Wales died with Covid-19. That’s about a third of all care home deaths during that period.
All the families are bringing claims for damages against the secretary of state for health and social care - plus the individual care homes and hospitals involved in each case.
They argue the European Convention on Human Rights was breached, including a failure to protect their relatives’ rights to life and to protect them from discrimination.
Good for them … 
15 May 2020.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, made his now well-known statement that: “Right from the start, we’ve tried to throw a protective ring around our care homes.”
Liar, liar … 