At the start of the pandemic, the then-health secretary in England, Matt Hancock, said the UK government had placed “a protective ring” around care homes.
But the inquiry says this was not the case, listing a catalogue of failings.
It says the care sector appeared to be “something of an afterthought”.
A lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) meant staff had to resort to makeshift workarounds, including bin bags, festival waterproof ponchos and painters’ overalls.
The report is also critical of the way hospital patients who may be infected with Covid were moved to care homes to make space for others.
The decision was understandable given the need to free up beds for Covid patients.
But, without sufficient testing, it was important to keep these people separate and isolate them from others in case they were infected.
Official guidance in March 2020 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland did not request this. That, the report says, was a significant oversight.
