Covid: Mother and daughter hold hands for first time in eight months thanks to care home testing pilot

Video report by ITV News Political Correspondent Paul Brand

A daughter and her care home resident mother have been physically reunited for the first time in eight months thanks to a coronavirus testing scheme which removes the need for social distancing during visits.

Marilyn Murch and her 93-year-old mother Betty have been separated since the start of the first Covid-19 lockdown in March, but luckily Betty lives in one of just 20 care homes in England participating in the testing pilot.

In heartwarming footage, Betty can be seen smiling ear to ear as holds the hand of her daughter, during a visit at Summercourt Residential Home in Devon.

"I'm really excited, we won't live this one down...what a lovely surprise," she says, as daughter Marilyn tells her how "lovely" it is to finally hold her hand.

The trial, which is taking place at care homes across Hampshire, Devon and Cornwall, sees one visitor per resident regularly tested for coronavirus.

Visitors will either take a lateral flow test upon arriving at the care home and receive a result within 30 minutes, or they'll do a PCR test at home before the scheduled visit

If the visitor is confirmed to not have the virus, where possible, they will be permitted to have an indoors face-to-face meeting, without the need for a separation screen.

Paul Brand analyses how the pilot scheme could work elsewhere

Visits at care homes which are not part of the testing scheme - there are 15,500 in England - can only take place with protections in place, such as floor to ceiling screens, or with the visitor stood outside a window, looking in.

This policy has been widely criticised by charities, who say it turns care home visits into prison-style visits.

Janet Igoe, 77, does not live in a care home subject to the pilot, and she too has been unable to touch her daughter Christine for eight months.

Instead, their only contact is virtual, but Janet struggles with with video calls and its hard to hold a conversation.

Christine told ITV News: "When my dad passed away, before he died, he said 'Christine look after your mum' and I think I've failed my mum in that.

Christine is so upset that she's vowed to take her mum out of the care home before Christmas, so they can live together.

Christine and her mum Janet have been apart for eight months.

And the government says the rapid turnaround testing scheme will be rolled out more widely in December in time for Christmas.

If successful, care home testing will be "rolled out in a phased way across the country".

The areas selected for the pilot were chosen due to their lower coronavirus transmission rates.

Each care home receiving lateral flow tests gets a box of 675 initially and will be given access to more as required.

Any decision on rolling out care home testing nationally will be taken "in light of the latest available data on transmission rates as a result of national Covid-19 restrictions, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

Watch Marilyn Murch receive a lateral flow test before visiting her mother

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "I know how heartbreaking restricting visits to care homes has been, not only for residents - many of whom will feel disoriented and confused by the situation - but also their loved ones who aren't able to simply hug each other to support them in this difficult time."

He added: "By respecting social distancing and staying at home as much as possible we will help reunite families and friends with loved ones in care homes as quickly as possible."