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There are fears coronavirus has claimed at least 4,000 lives in care homes across the UK as deaths go under-reported.

Experts warned a "hidden epidemic" of coronavirus is sweeping care homes across Britain and deaths from Covid-19 are not being recorded accurately due to a lack of testing.

The number of deaths in care homes is not included in the daily death toll and there have been reports some GPs are not putting Covid-19 on death certificates.

It comes after the Office for National Statistics said the total number of deaths is actually 15% higher than previously reported.

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The daily figures released by the government are collated by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and only includes deaths in hospitals.

The ONS revealed there have been 406 deaths outside hospital - including 217 in care homes, 136 in private homes and 33 in hospices.

But the real toll of care home deaths is likely to be much higher - because the ONS figures only include deaths registered by April 3.

And the 217 figure is significantly less than the 'about 1,000' estimated by Cabinet minister Therese Coffey earlier today.

The Government has faced criticism for not including care home deaths in the total which yesterday was at 12,157.

Amid calls for more testing, PPE and support for social care workers, Matt Hancock has vowed that any resident or staff member experiencing symptoms would be tested.

(Image: Collect Unknown)

Just 500 care home staff has been tested for the deadly disease so far.

It comes as Anita Peet, who runs the Wren Hall Nursing Home in Nottingham, criticised the government's response and called for anti-body testing to be made avilable.

Ten residents, aged between 71 and 91, died from coronavirus at the home last weekend, while 15 others are in isolation.

Anita told The Sun: "We are just having deaths all the time.

"Are people dispensable? It feels as if people are not worth saving. But that is certainly not how we feel.

(Image: Stoke Sentinel / BPM Media)

"It's getting harder and harder every day. We're fighting a losing battle.

"It is awful that people are not being able to prepare for this, to spend quality time with loved ones. It is making the whole situation more challenging."

She also described the supply of PPE as "completely useless".

''The first delivery (from the government) was 160 masks. I told them we were using 312 a day. I waited four days and got 400. The supply chain is completely useless."

Meanwhile, Mike Padgham, of the Independent Care Group, believes at least 4,000 care home residents have died.

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He came to the figure based on estimates that care home deaths are about a third of those in hospital.

Mr Padgham also took into consideration the number of care home deaths in other countries.

Meanwhile, former chief executive of the Care Quality Commission and non-executive director of HC-One, Britain's largest care home operator, Sir David Behan said Covid-19 is present in two-thirds of their care homes.

(Image: Stoke Sentinel/BPM Media)

Sir David told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We've been monitoring these numbers since the beginning of the outbreak and as of yesterday evening at 8 o'clock we'd had 2,447 of either suspected or confirmed Covid-19 within our care homes.

"It's present in 232 of our homes which is about two-thirds of the total number of homes that we run.

"And again, as of last night, there have been 311 residents who have died as a result of, or suspected, Covid-19. And indeed sadly over the weekend we've lost one member of staff.

"Covid-19 deaths are representative of about... just under about a third of all deaths that we've had over the past three weeks.

"So this isn't just an issue of deaths from Covid-19 as I've already said, this is a very frail group of older people and we'd normally have a number of deaths taking place throughout the winter months and we're also dealing with that as well."