The Covid Inquiry has commenced a detailed examination of the impact of the pandemic on care homes in England and Wales, where nearly 46,000 residents died from March 2020 to January 2022. The inquiry is focusing on the restrictions imposed on the care sector and the measures taken to prevent the virus's spread. A key issue under scrutiny is the discharge of thousands of hospital patients into care homes without prior Covid testing, a practice revealed in May 2020. Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock is set to appear before the inquiry, where he will face questions about his claim that a protective ring was established around care homes early in the pandemic. Families of those who died have raised concerns about the handling of the crisis, with some describing the situation in care homes as a "slaughter." Additionally, Mike Padgham, Chair of the Independent Care Group, has stated that adult social care is currently in a worse position than at the start of the latest pandemic, highlighting ongoing challenges in the sector.