Munira has urged Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to give day respite care centres access to free Covid-19 testing.
Currently, day respite care centres do not have access to free Covid-19 testing. Care homes on the other hand do have access to free and regular testing for all staff.
This is despite the vital role day respite care centres play in providing support to the vulnerable and helping unpaid carers take a break from their caring duties.
Munira raises the issue in Parliament
Speaking in the House of Commons, Munira said:
“Day respite care centres, such as Homelink in my constituency, provide much-needed support for people with dementia, learning difficulties and other complex needs and are a lifeline for unpaid carers.
Homelink and others are desperate to open as quickly as possible and are working on covid-secure guidelines, but they cannot get free access to testing for staff and their users.
Will the Secretary of State please consider making testing for respite carer centres available on the same basis as for care homes?”
Matt Hancock responded:
“Yes, we have a project under way on this. It is something that the Chair of the Science and Technology Committee has been working on for weeks as well. Again, I will write to the hon. Member with the full details of the plan to make this happen.”