Coronavirus Scotland: Government chiefs warn care homes may not be following Covid-19 guidance
SCOTTISH Government chiefs warned crisis-hit care homes may not be following Covid-19 guidance after seeing allegations on social media.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said some institutions might not have fully followed initial rules issued by ministers on social-distancing at the start of the outbreak in March.
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Her claim came amid a furious row over soaring deaths in care homes - now outstripping those in hospitals, according to weekly figures.
But pressed today on the evidence for staff failing to heed rules, the Scottish Government’s chief nursing officer Fiona McQueen could only cite “social media” as proof.
Ms McQueen also sparked controversy by claiming the issue of personal protective equipment shortages in care homes was now “resolved”.
Scottish Government is failing the test on care homes
The claims sparked a backlash and accusations that the Scottish Government was mounting an attack with "flimsy" evidence, and was "out of touch" with what was happening in care homes.
There have been accusations that the SNP government has failed to properly protect OAP residences, despite early warning signs about how the virus would hit them.
Ms McQueen's comments came as she was quizzed on why the Health Secretary had said on Wednesday evening that some facilities were not following the rules.
Ms Freeman had said: “I think we may have a situation, although we haven't got complete evidence yet, of circumstances where that March 13 guidance was not followed in full.”
Ms McQueen was pressed on BBC Radio Scotland this morning on Ms Freeman’s remarks and what the evidence was.
She replied: “She must have been of that view that that has happened. And if you look at social media, if you look at some relatives talking about when they contacted their loved ones, they were not confident that there was social distancing. That has now been reinforced with care homes - the importance of it.”
Ms McQueen was also asked if care homes had been prioritised enough for personal protective equipment at the start of the outbreak.
Private and council care firms struggled to get hold of gear amid an international shortage, and the government then set up a scheme to deliver items to homes.
Ms McQueen said PPE was “a matter of health and safety” and a “responsibility of the employer”.
She added: “We know that some care homes struggled to get the correct PPE for their staff, we've now resolved that, and made sure that we are supplying across the country to care homes to make sure that they have appropriate safe levels of PPE for their staff.”
GMB Scotland Secretary Gary Smith said: "The issue of PPE is not resolved, the guidelines and distribution processes may be confirmed but problems will be ongoing, and that's because we are playing catch up on PPE.
"We know from our members testimonies that the actions and decisions of both employers and government have contributed to these massively challenging working conditions facing staff.
"Ultimately what has happened to social care workers has been scandalous. They have had to contend with delay and confusion over their PPE while struggling to do their jobs in the crisis within a crisis."
And union organiser Deborah Clarke, Unison's head of community, said: “The supply of PPE has improved, but this is after four weeks and we are still hearing from home and social care staff who continue to have problems getting PPE supplies.
"Now we must ensure home and social care staff can access to Covid-19 testing, and that they continue to get the support and training they need to use the PPE safely.
"Home care staff deserve better - they are terrified of passing on the virus on between patients. Unison will continue to fight in every corner to ensure they are safe at work.”
Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Miles Briggs said: “It is obvious that care homes have been badly let down by the Scottish government, they need far more PPE and greater infection control measures.
“It is outrageous that the Scottish Government would rather attack care homes with the flimsiest of evidence, rather than supporting and resourcing them.
“We are watching a devastating human tragedy unfold, SNP ministers need to get a grip of the situation and give care homes the critical help they desperately need.”
There were also reports today that care home staff in Edinburgh were resorting to buying PPE themselves.
Scottish Labour health spokesperson Monica Lennon said: "The Scottish Government has been too slow in providing support to care homes.
“Tragically, care homes are now at the epicentre of the coronavirus crisis.
“Staff are still relying on donations of masks and gloves and if the Chief Nursing Officer is out of touch with their reality that is a huge worry.
“PPE shortages and lack of testing continue to risk lives and rather than pointing fingers, Jeane Freeman and her team need to deliver the emergency support our care homes need.”
Donald Macaskill, CEO of care home umbrella body Scottish Care, said members were no longer reporting "critical shortages", but a lack of supplies was still causing problems. And he said "prioritisation of the NHS" means homes are still struggling to get all they need.
He also pointed to the "huge economic impact" on providers, with one home telling him how costs had risen more than tenfold.
On the claim of guidance being flouted, he said some homes had already effectively locked down in the days before Health Protection
Scotland guidelines were issued on March 13, on the back of Scottish Care advice.
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He said: "We have no evidence that people did not stop visiting - because they clearly did."
And he said the issue of social distancing in care homes was "really challenging", especially for people with dementia who can wander around.
He said: "A care home is somebody's home, therefore rules for infection control that work in an acute hospital ward have to be adapted to fit the environment."
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