COUNCIL bosses have hit back at TV claims they were 'pressured' into taking Covid-19 positive patients straight from hospitals.

A letter, leaked from Trafford Council, shows a contract care homes were asked to sign, agreeing to ‘rapid discharge’ procedures.

The document was leaked to Channel 4, but town hall chiefs claim no-one was ‘pushed’ to sign these contracts and care homes had the ultimate right of refusal.

The authority also claims, since the start of the pandemic, it has ‘insisted’ all patients are tested for coronavirus before they are discharged from hospital and the contracts reflect national guidelines.

A council spokesman said: "It is completely inaccurate to say care homes are being pressurised into taking people with coronavirus.

"We have acted according to national guidance through the pandemic and have set up strict rules to ensure the safety of residents and staff at our care homes.

“Throughout the discharge process, the health and wellbeing of the person being discharged from hospital is of fundamental importance.

"Right from the start of the pandemic, we insisted that all patients were tested for coronavirus before they were discharged, before the requirements to test people before discharge nationally were brought in. We have only asked homes to accept those patients with a negative test.”

Government guidelines, where care homes are now being asked to be prepared to accept Covid-19 positive patients from hospitals, were updated on September 16.