More than 200 patients were discharged to care homes from Warrington and Halton Hospital without being tested for Covid-19 during the first wave of the pandemic.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust discharged 255 patients to care homes between March 1 and April 15.

But only 52 of those patients had been tested for Covid-19 during their time in hospital, leaving 203 whose Covid status was unknown when they were discharged.

Of the few that were tested for Covid-19 prior to their discharge, 24 tested positive.

However, as it is not clear how much time passed between these patients testing positive and being discharged, it cannot be said whether any patients were discharged while still carrying the virus.

Most of these discharges occurred in March, with 160 patients being sent into care homes without a Covid-19 test during the month.

Kimberley Salmon-Jamieson, Chief Nurse and Director for Infection, Prevention and Control for Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Like all trusts, prior to the government guidance being updated on 16th April, we tested all patients in line with the current guidance at that time and discharged patients when medically fit and through working in partnership with patients, their families and care or nursing  homes.

“We worked with our partners on supporting an appropriate discharge process to ensure all necessary steps were taken to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and were testing patients and care/nursing home residents with symptoms wherever testing capacity allowed.

“We have followed national guidance at every step and our current process is that all patients being discharged, including those discharged to care and nursing homes, are tested for COVID-19 prior to leaving hospital.”

Care homes were major outbreak points of the virus during its first wave in the UK and the government has faced criticism over guidance in place until mid-April that allowed hospitals to discharge patients to homes without testing them for Covid-19.

The government guidance was then changed to require testing before discharging patients into care homes.

At least 20,000 people are known to have died in care homes across the UK as a result of coronavirus, with almost 600 of those deaths occurring in the Liverpool City Region.

In the main boroughs served by Warrington and Halton Hospitals, Halton has seen 48 care home deaths from Covid-19, almost all during the first wave.

In Warrington, there have been 132 care home deaths linked to the virus, almost half the borough’s total Covid-19 death toll.