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Care homes in England: what's going to change from 8 March?

Families and campaigners have been urging ministers to make it easier for residents to see their families
Care home residents in England will be allowed to receive indoor visits from one person from 8 March as lockdown restrictions start to be eased, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, has said. The announcement came after a growing campaign by families and residents to be able to see their relatives.
How have care homes and their residents been hit by the coronavirus pandemic?
According to figures from the Office for National Statistics and official sources in Scotland and Northern Ireland for the week to 8 January more than 25,000 people have died from Covid in care homes across the UK since the start of the pandemic.
The number of care home residents who have succumbed to Covid is more than 6,000 higher once deaths after residents were admitted to hospital are taken into account, taking the figure past 30,000.
Care home residents have accounted for almost a third of the total number of coronavirus deaths in England and Wales, according to the ONS.
The ONS figures also showed that about four in 10 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending 15 January involved coronavirus – the highest proportion recorded during the pandemic.
Have care homes been closed to visitors during the pandemic?
All face-to-face visits in care homes were banned during the first national lockdown in March when coronavirus swept through care homes.
Government guidance during the third lockdown, which started on 6 January, said: “Visiting should be supported and enabled wherever it is possible to do so safely – in line with this guidance and within a care home environment that takes proportionate steps to manage risks.”
But many care homes have remained shut to all but end-of-life visits in an attempt to keep out new fast-spreading Covid variants.
The government pledged on 1 December that care home residents in all tiers would have the opportunity to receive visits before Christmas. In-person visits should be the norm, it said, unless a home has had an outbreak.
But in December Age UK said care homes were not honouring government calls for families to be reunited with loved ones in time for Christmas, saying that progress on enabling visits had stalled, with some care homes worried about insurance issues and concerns about the accuracy of rapid-result Covid tests.
What have families been calling for?
In February the families of people in care homes demanded a restart to essential visiting by 1 March declaring it “a matter of safety, common decency, and fundamental human rights”.
The campaign and support groups Rights for Residents, the Relatives and Residents Association and John’s Campaign urged ministers to allow residents to select an essential caregiver to make in-person visits indoors and without screens within weeks. They cited falling rates of Covid transmission in the community and the need to balance the risk from the virus with the risk of isolation and lack of connection.
Who else has called for care homes to be reopened?
Earlier in February a parliamentary human rights committee called on ministers to legislate against blanket bans on care home visits in England that relatives claim are causing deaths through loneliness and isolation.
What have care operators said?
Many care operators have said that it may be too soon to open, pointing to high infection rates and the fact that second vaccination doses are yet to be administered to many vulnerable elderly people. They also say many cannot get insurance cover for Covid risks, including infection being introduced by visitors.
source: Alexandra Topping
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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