Dr. Kathleen MacLellan:

We have significant learning from the nursing home expert panel in regard to the types of causal factors. One of the particular learnings which has been seen through the work of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, ECDC, the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, and the expert panel is that the level of community transmission is significantly important in terms of the level of transmission within nursing homes. There is a piece of work nearing completion. It is a recommendation of the nursing home expert panel that the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, HPSC, with HIQA would examine the risk factors and protective factors in the transfer of Covid-19 into nursing homes. As I said, that work is nearing completion and will be published shortly. That will be significant and supportive in terms of learning going forward.

One of the other learnings, which we have validated through a number of pieces of work, is that the level of transmission and the level of mortality when looked at proportionally are not similar across the private and public nursing homes, but the proportional balance between private and public is leaning towards the private sector. We have to acknowledge the significant supports that have been put in place. The Deputy spoke about the model of care. The nursing home expert panel particularly recommended a stronger integration of both public and private services going forward. The HSE and the panel are fully committed to that and work has commenced on how it can be delivered.