60 organisations have come together and sent an open letter to the government urging it not to take away care home visits to families and loved ones during the month-long lockdown which starts Thursday 5 November.

Matt Hancock and Minister for Care, Helen Whately, wrote this letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with the support of the 60-strong voices, calling on the government to keep care homes open to visitors and stop residents being put at risk of emotional, mental and physical deterioration.

The signatories including researchers and organisations brought together by the National Care Forum (NCF) are worried isolation caused by a blanket ban on visits to care homes could be harmful and cause anguish. The coalition also states that for older people in particular, who live on average two years once they go into a care home, there simply isn’t enough time to watch and wait.