Thank you carers of Dudley

Carers who serve across Dudley have been heralded as a life force for the borough by Dudley Council chiefs.

Councillor Patrick Harley has released a statement paying his personal tributes to dedicated and selfless care staff, following the release of national data showing how the coronavirus is affecting the sector.

He said:

We are blessed with dedicated and selfless care home staff and carers in the community who continue to do amazing work under very difficult circumstances.

We are acutely aware of the pressure care homes are currently under, not just here but all over the country and I want to personally thank them for everything they continue to do for our communities.

I offer my reassurance that they will not be forgotten and that we will continue to do all we can to support them during this challenging time.

I also want to thank our public health team for the excellent work they are doing in proactively supporting care home colleagues.

Council teams are in daily contact with care homes and are kept informed by Care Homes.

Social Care and Public Health staff have offered support and expert advice with everything from personal protective equipment to managing outbreaks. 

There is also a large-scale programme of coronavirus testing in Dudley care homes, in partnership with local NHS partners. 

This means they can identify problems, including potential outbreaks, more quickly and offer care homes the right advice.

Councillor Nicolas Barlow, cabinet member for health and adult social care at Dudley Council said:

I want to assure everyone that our teams are doing all they can to support those living and working in care homes at this deeply upsetting time.

Our care homes continue to do an amazing job under enormous pressure and it is humbling to see the level at which care workers have executed their duties with such compassion and diligence.

Sadly we have seen a number of deaths in the borough and my heart goes out to everyone affected by these tragic loses. Working with the homes, we have helped to ensure rigorous and high level infection control is in place and there can be no doubt this has saved many lives.

People can access information about the latest advice, council services and available support throughout the coronavirus outbreak at www.dudley.gov.uk/coronavirus