YORK Central MP Rachael Maskell has called for a Commons debate on the impact of Covid-19 on residents in care homes.

She said her work in recent weeks had exposed significant risks to them in some York homes: 'no PPE, no family visits, no GP visits, no Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections,agency staff not knowing residents and poor oversight by the local authority.'

She claimed: "This has exposed and exacerbated the risk to the most vulnerable members of our community, increasing infection and mortality. This is very serious."

She told The Press she had been 'deeply disturbed' after listening to staff, whistle-blowers and residents' relatives about their experiences. While some care homes in York had provided excellent care, this had not been the universal practice and she had called on the CQC to investigate some of the city's homes.

She said she was very disappointed that the Leader of the House, Jacob Rees-Mogg, had not prioritised this issue, while far less pressing issues had been listed for debate over the last week before the summer recess.

Mr Rees-Mogg said there would be an opportunity for her to raise this matter at the adjournment debate pre-recess but said care homes had 'worked incredibly hard under very difficult circumstances.'