Latest figures show 172 people died in care homes across Brighton and Hove during the last year of the pandemic.

The figures from the Care Quality Commission, which recorded deaths from April 2020 to the end of March this year, also found that 35 care homes in the city reported at least one death from coronavirus.

One care home in Hove, Lindridge, reported 18 deaths in the year to the end of March.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK, said care homes that have been impacted the most are generally in areas with high cases in the community.

“It would be easy to assume that if a care home has experienced a large volume of Covid-19 deaths that must mean it’s not very good, but this would be unfair.

“This is more a tragic accident of geography than anything else.”

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The data covers deaths of care home residents from the disease regardless of where the virus was contracted or where the death occurred.

More than 78,500 care home residents died across England over the same period, with around 7,000 care homes registering at least one death linked to Covid-19.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said the government has done all it can to protect vulnerable people in care homes throughout the pandemic.

“We have provided billions of pounds to support the sector, including on infection and prevention control measures, free PPE, priority vaccinations and additional testing,” she added.

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