WORCESTERSHIRE is to receive a share of a £600 million Infection Control Fund to reduce the transmission of coronavirus in care homes.

Redditch MP Rachel Maclean has welcomed the announcement that Worcestershire County Council will receive £7,452,377 to support care homes in Redditch and across the county.

There are currently 5,806 care home beds registered in the county.

The funding will be used ensure that care homes can continue their efforts to halt the spread of coronavirus by helping them cover the costs of implementing measures to reduce transmission.

This includes funding training on infection control for staff, reducing transmission by supporting providers to reduce workforce movements and Stepping up NHS clinical support to care homes.

The fund comes on top of £3.2 billion that has already been made available to local authorities to support key public services, including social care, since the start of the crisis.

It forms part of a wider package of support the Government is making available to care homes, which includes ensuring all care homes have they support they need with staffing and accessing PPE and providing a named clinical contact from the NHS for every single care home.

The named contact will assist care homes with weekly check-ins to review patients while helping staff with the use of equipment and medication.

Rachel said: “Thanking our carers is personal for me. My mum is living with dementia and it’s hard being hundreds of miles away from her. Her carers are amazing and I can’t thank them enough for all that they’re doing.

“Care staff really are the heroes of this pandemic – working tirelessly to support those in our community who need it the most.

“I do not underestimate how challenging a time this is for people living and working in care. This new funding will make a real difference to care homes in Redditch. I’ve been in contact with our care homes and supported them whenever they’ve needed my help.

“I’ve also been holding weekly meetings with Worcestershire County Council who have been co-ordinating PPE supplies for care homes. There have been challenges at times, but I’m assured our care homes have the supplies they need.

“By putting in place stronger prevention, we can ensure that we continue to drive coronavirus out of our care homes, making them safer and better able to look after people who need it the most.”