CARE workers are convinced that coronavirus "was introduced into their care home community as a result of discharges" following the revelation that 113 positive patients were sent into institutions.
Public Health Scotland's investigation found that thousands of patients were transferred from hospitals to care homes in the early stages of the pandemic despite not having undergone a test for Covid-19 – while 113 had tested negative and not received a positive test before being moved into the institutions.
Dr Donald Macaskill, the CEO of Scottish Care, which represents independent care homes, has warned that what is missing from the stark report is "the story of those who cared for residents in our care homes".
He added: "Some of our members and staff who work in care homes in a few cases believe that Covid-19 was introduced into their care home community as a result of discharges.
READ MORE: Coronavirus Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon under fire for care home transfers
"What is missing is the frontline experience of our care sector and its staff, the voices of those who received care and their families."
Dr Macaskill has warned that "at the start of the pandemic all the emphasis was on the preservation of the NHS", highlighting a campaign for collective effort to "protect the NHS".
He added: "The care home sector and its workforce played its part in that protection, and can be assured that in the majority of instances that support through enabling people to come home or be admitted, was not a significant risk factor for outbreaks.
"However, we need to ensure that where people are convinced there was a direct relationship between discharge and outbreak that this belief needs to be investigated.
READ MORE: Coronavirus Scotland: National care service 'a distraction'
"We should have initiated testing for all discharges much earlier than we did. The report makes it clear that there are real benefits from this testing process.
"The report is a reminder of the pain we have all endured. Its insight should become the energy to ensure that the whole health and care system really does support the care home sector in the weeks ahead, that it becomes each of our responsibilities to protect by our everyday action, putting the needs of the residents rather than the protection of any system or organisation at the heart of that shared focus."
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel