Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 3:08 pm on 30 September 2020.
Thank you, Angela, for that question. Certainly, we're very well aware of this very important issue about how we enable older people in care homes to have access to their loved ones. It's really treading a very difficult line between the protection of the health of the older people in the care homes and the staff and their mental health in terms of having the contact with their loved ones that they need and desire. So, we certainly don't support any blanket bans; we're looking to local authorities to try to approach this on an individual basis and to see where safe visits can be made. We also think it's really important to use all the technology that's available for residents of care homes to keep in touch with their loved ones. We did, of course, provide £800,000 for digital devices for care homes and hospices to enable that to happen, but I absolutely accept the point that there are many residents who won't be able to take advantage of those digital devices. So, we've given guidance about visiting outdoors, and during this very brief period of time—certainly not today—but some time before the winter comes, outdoor visits could still continue. Obviously, it's up to the provider and the local authority, but with our guidance, we want to encourage as much flexibility as possible and we absolutely accept that it's really important for residents of care homes to see their loved ones whenever it's possible for them safely to do so.