Care home nurse 'refused to use mask' before Covid killed seven people

A nurse at a care home where seven people died during a Covid outbreak 'refused to wear a mask' and branded the virus a 'government conspiracy', an inquest heard.

The deputy manager at the Holmesley care home in Sidmouth, Devon said how she received a call from a female member of staff at 4am in March 2021 during an inquest into the deaths of seven residents at the home.

Jemma Turner explained how the member of staff was crying uncontrollably saying: 'I need your help. I think the residents are poorly, I think they have Covid.'

Mrs Turner asked her where the nurse was to which she replied: 'He is refusing to wear a mask. He is walking around the home saying Covid is a conspiracy.'

The deputy manager told the Exeter inquest how the nurse was 'notorious for not putting his mask on' and saying that the was a 'Government conspiracy'.

Mrs Turner immediately went to the care home in a bid to 'keep the residents safe', the inquest heard.

She tested residents and told the coroner: 'I think all of them were positive. What am I going to do?' 

It was heard how she claimed she was told by bosses that the tests were a 'bad patch' and were not positive for Covid adding she was accused of overreacting.

She said: 'I was shocked and sad. I think all but three or four residents were positive, probably five staff were left, everyone else was positive.'

Mrs Turner also said that a female member of staff who felt unwell asked for a test and that her boss said it was negative and allegedly binned the test - but the member of staff later found the test along with others showing they were positive.

The registered nurse added there was a high turnover of staff at the home which added to the problems in adhering to Covid measures. 

The seven residents who died between March and April 2021 - three men and four women - were aged between 70 and 102.

Area coroner for Devon Alison Longhorn asked her about the chain of events.

Mrs Turner replied: 'It was awful. This could have been prevented.'

She said she contacted the police because otherwise 'no one would potentially have known this had happened'.

The inquest, due to last four days, continues.