CExperts say the second national lockdown must allow home visits to continue.

More than 600 organizations and experts have called on the government to continue inspecting care homes.

They said banning inspections was “internally harmful” and caused “extreme pain”.

In an open letter to Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock, organizations, researchers, professionals and organizations representing relatives, caregivers and suppliers by the National Care Forum said that banning philosophy violates residents’ human rights.

They said that as the government finalizes the rules for a national lockdown there must be a “default location” that is open to viewing care homes.

The letter said: “Care homes must be supported to enable visits by family and loved ones now and in the future.

“We no longer see the impact of segregation through the erosion of human rights and the banning of effective blankets for inspections in care homes.

“We know that the isolation caused by a ban from a loved one is inherently detrimental, and we have repeatedly heard of the extreme pain it causes.”

Signatories to the letter include academics, the charity Age UK, the Alzheimer’s Society, the Care Providers Alliance, the British Geriatrics Society and the Royal Society of Public Health.