THE MP for Slough has demanded Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologise for his ‘insensitive’ care home comments.

On July 6, the Prime Minister said “too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures” when it came to the Covid-19 pandemic.


This led to accusations of Boris Johnson trying to shift the blame onto care homes over coronavirus deaths – which was deemed ‘cowardly’ and ‘hugely insulting’ by his critics.

Nearly 20,000 people in care homes have died involving Covid-19 in England and Wales as of July 3, according to the Office for National Statistics.

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Tan Dhesi, Slough MP, has revealed he has written to the Prime Minister urging him to apologise to the co-founder of R.E.A.C.H Ltd care homes – which has provided support for adults with learning disabilities in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire for 24 years – as well as other care homes.

The co-founder, Nasrin Saeedi, wrote to Mr Dhesi to ask for an apology from the Prime Minister over his ‘insensitive comments’ regarding the care home sector as her team put their services in lockdown three-weeks early before government direction was issued, she claims.

Slough Observer: Tan Dhesi's letter to the Prime MinisterTan Dhesi's letter to the Prime Minister

Mrs Saeedi said all of her team “have been doing the jobs that many wouldn’t be prepared to do” where she summarised the challenges care homes faced during the pandemic.

During the height of the outbreak, she said her staff had to queue at shops for hours to buy for essential supplies while shops were limiting multiple purchases of items due to bulk buying, and she mentioned the anxieties and emotional challenges her team and their families faced.

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She also criticised the government over the lack of personal protective equipment being issued to care homes.

Tan Dhesi said: “Care homes, including in Slough, have been deeply hurt by the Prime Minister’s recent comments – he should apologise.

“Instead of blaming care homes for this Government’s mistakes, Boris Johnson should take responsibility and fix our social care crisis.”