Care homes were left to “look after themselves” by government during the early days of the pandemic, a care leader has said.

Age UK chief executive Caroline Abrahams made the remarks during evidence given to the second module of the government’s UK Covid-19 Inquiry yesterday covering decision-making and political governance.

Abrahams said there was: “A real sense sometimes, I think more from ministers than — certainly rather than officials, that these were private organisations so, you know, it was up to them to look after themselves, this was not part of the state.”

The chief executive said Age UK felt “quite cut off” during the first two to three months of the pandemic with most of its initial advice conveyed through the national media.

She said “no one was reaching out to us from government on the whole, and we were finding it really difficult to reach in. It was as though the wagons had circled and everyone was very internally focused within government”.

The charity head said there was “just a complete misunderstanding really of what happens in care homes”.

She highlighted that staff shortages in care homes made the impact of the pandemic worst on services, adding it took “a long time for policymakers to respond to that reality”.

Abrahams added the “fragmented” nature of social care meant there was “a reluctance” and “inability” to know how government could help.

“They didn’t have the information, they didn’t know who they were, they didn’t have a list even of — they couldn’t even write to them, to begin with,” Abrahams said.

The public hearing continues until 14 December.