Coronavirus: Charity seeks judicial review on care home visit guidance

A dementia charity is seeking a judicial review of the government guidance on care home visits.

John's Campaign says many care homes in England are still refusing regular face-to-face visits, often essential for people with severe dementia. Dr Angela McIntyre, a retired doctor backing the campaign, has not seen her 92-year-old mother since March.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "We know limiting visits in care homes has been difficult for many families."

He added: "Our first priority is to prevent infections in care homes, and this means that visiting policy should still be restricted with alternatives sought wherever possible.

"Visiting policies should be tailored by the individual care home and take into account local risks in their area."

But John's Campaign believes the guidance does not take into account how important visits from family members are for dementia patients and believes it could be in breach of the law.

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Source: BBC Health, 3 September 2020