A year on the pandemic frontline has taken its toll on some Lancashire health and care staff “The regulated care sector [is] very fragile – both in relation to [its] financial position and some of the trauma that those staff have experienced,” explained Kathryn Lord, director of quality at East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). “We have lost large numbers of residents very quickly in some of those [care] homes, so bereavement support and support around resilience is [being provided to] staff. I think it’s important that we don’t forget that.” The committee heard that a similar situation was facing some hospital workers. The absence rate across Lancashire and South Cumbria’s NHS trusts is declining and, at 7.4 percent, is in line with the national average.