A study has been unable to explain why Bath & North East Somerset Council had among the highest Covid care home death rates in the country.

The research found that while the county was among the lowest 30% in the country for overall Covid deaths and the lowest 10% for Covid deaths in hospital during the second wave of the pandemic from September 2020 to February 2021, the rate of deaths in care homes (at 523 per 100,000) was among the highest 10%.

The researchers said these findings reflected trends before the pandemic with the area having lower rates of emergency admissions from care homes to hospital as well as having one of the highest percentages of people dying in their usual place of residence.

The report found there no substantive evidence to suggest that behaviour and practices carried out by care homes contributed to the death rates recorded in Bath and North East Somerset care homes during the pandemic.

Learning points for the future included:

• The need for contingency plans so that care homes can be supported with emergency staff cover for pandemics and other unexpected events
• The need for care homes together with local authorities to develop and regularly update infection and prevention control plans specific to their setting
• Consideration of granting more autonomy to care homes to enable them to find the right balance between infection control measures and the wellbeing of their residents, so that social aspects of residents’ lives are protected
• Improving lines of communication around policy and guidance so that multiple sources of information do not lead to confusion, uncertainty and care home staff feeling isolated.

Councillor Alison Born, cabinet member for adult services, said the report’s headline figures when seen in context “do not cause us concerns”, adding the study provided “useful learning which could be helpful to those involved in planning for future pandemics”.