Protecting Care Homes from Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Infectious disease outbreaks are not new to the care sector. From flu and norovirus to COVID-19, care homes have seen first-hand how quickly illness can spread among vulnerable residents, putting health, staffing, and business continuity at risk.

This year, NHS England has published new guidance for Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) on how to commission local responses to outbreaks of infectious disease. While the document is aimed at commissioners, it has real implications for care homes too.

Why this matters for care homes

Every year, over 10,000 outbreaks are managed across England. When these occur, health and care providers are expected to act quickly to contain the spread, protect vulnerable groups, and maintain essential services.

For care homes, this means:

• Rapid testing and diagnosis – local services will need to ensure swabs, blood tests, or other diagnostics can be accessed quickly.
• Access to vaccinations – whether post-exposure (for example following a measles case) or as part of a wider outbreak response, immunisation will play a key role.
• Treatment availability – from antivirals to antibiotics, medicines need to be distributed efficiently to reduce the impact of infection.

Equity and inclusion

The NHS guidance also highlights the importance of protecting groups most at risk, including those living in care settings. The CORE20PLUS framework (focused on tackling health inequalities) means care homes should expect outbreak responses that don’t just provide a “one-size-fits-all” approach but take into account the specific needs of their residents.

Planning, not just reacting

One of the key messages is that outbreak response must be planned in advance. That includes:

• Clear agreements on who delivers testing and treatment in care homes
• Logistics around out-of-hours support
• How information is shared with families, staff, and regulators

The emphasis is on resilience, ensuring outbreak management doesn’t come at the expense of your home’s day-to-day care delivery.

What care home owners should do now

While this guidance is aimed at commissioners, it’s worth considering:

• ‍Do you know who your ICB outbreak response lead is?
• Are your infection control policies up to date and aligned with NHS and local health protection teams?
• Do you have a plan for communications if an outbreak occurs?

Being prepared doesn’t just protect residents, it protects your business, reputation, and staff wellbeing too.

Next steps: If you’d like advice on strengthening your outbreak resilience and understanding how these NHS changes could affect your care home, contact Quality Care Group today by completing this short form and a member of our Risk Management Team will get back to you.

You can find the full clinical response to local incidents and outbreaks of infectious disease: Commissioning guidance for ICBs on the NHS website.