A grieving daughter is suing the government over her father's death from suspected coronavirus at an Oxfordshire care home.

Dr Cathy Gardner's father, Michael Gibson, a retired superintendent of births, marriages and deaths, died in early April.

The 88-year-old had been a resident of Cherwood House Care Centre, Caversfield.

In an online appeal to raise the funds needed for the legal action, she said: "My father was one of the thousands who died in a care home during this pandemic.

"I am launching this action to hold the government to account for not protecting elderly people in care homes."

The original government advice about the discharge of patients to care homes was negative tests were not required prior to transfer.

The policy was changed on April 15 to testing all residents before admission.

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Dr Gardner told Sky News last month staff told her a Covid-positive patient was discharged back to the home in mid-March.

Cherwood House said it was not given any guarantees the patient wasn't still infectious, and it was 'one of several possibilities' which could have caused Mr Gibson's death.

Dr Cathy Gardner launched a high court claim on today. 

She said: "Despite the rapid spread of COVID-19 care homes were only advised on 2nd April 2020 that visits should not be permitted save in exceptional circumstances.

"Worst still, on 19th March 2020 the Secretary of State required the urgent discharge of patients from hospitals back into care homes without being tested for COVID-19.

"I believe this made care homes a death trap, exposing vulnerable people to a disease that could kill them. Their safe place became a dangerous place.

The Department of Health and Social Care has said it could not comment on ongoing legal proceedings.