Hiding 300 care is an insult to the
Scottish Government
Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of “hiding” almost 300 Covid-19 care home deaths by using misleading statistics.
The First Minister insisted that fatalities among residents were decreasing rapidly as a result of vaccinations at Holyrood and in a daily coronavirus briefing. But figures she used to support the claim didn’t include those who died of Covid-19 after being moved to hospital, we can reveal. The National Records of Scotland (NRS) data used by Sturgeon has l isted 1259 deaths in care homes since September 7, 2020. However, separate figures collated by industry watchdog the Care Inspectorate – which include residents who passed away in hospital – show 1532 fatalities for the same period.
Labour MSP Neil Findlay, whose mum is in a care home, said: “This new evidence shows again the contempt and disregard this Government has shown for care home residents and their families throughout the pandemic. In an attempt to make themselves look good, Nicola Sturgeon and Jeane Freeman are manipulating the figures to try to hide the deaths of almost 300 care home residents who died in hospital.
“This really is an insult to those we have lost and their families.”
Lib Dem health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “The deaths in Scotland’s care homes have been the biggest tragedy of the past 12 months.
“Statistics can’t ever tell the full story of how hard it has been for people but the data they contain must always be robust and hide nothing. I hope for the families’ sake that they haven’t been given false assurances.”
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Donald Cameron said: “It is extraordinary these deaths were not accurately recorded. It is absolutely imperat ive that the SNP Government uses clear and transparent data at all times.”
The NRS information used by the First Minister and Health Secretary Jeane Freeman doesn’t include 273 deaths of residents who were admitted to hospital.
On February 18, Sturgeon said:
Louis Tomlinson is starting an art ist management company so he can develop new talent.
The former One Direction star, 29, announced his plans on Twitter.
He wrote to his 35million followers: “I always dreamed of having my own label, having an imprint never real ly worked for me because I still had to have someone else’s blessing to sign people.
“So I’ve decided to put it out there in the world today. I’m going to start my own music management company to help develop new artists. Watch this space.
“I just wanted to take the first step of actualising the idea but at this stage that’s all this is. An idea.
“PS – a management company not a label.”
A Sunday Mail investigation shows the astonishing mounting cost of Nicola Sturgeon’s ill-fated court battle with Alex Salmond. Despite serious flaws in the case against the former first minister being identified on September 27, 2018, officials ploughed on at a cost of £127,000.
More than a month
■ John Ferguson
later, on October 31, the Scottish Government’s own lawyer, Roddy Dunlop, gave legal advice stating that to continue could be “defending the indefensible”.
Another £91,000 in costs was added taking the total to £218,000.
On December 6, Dunlop again advised abandoning the case. But First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s team still refused – despite the running total reaching £281,500.
By December 19, Dunlop issued a furious legal warning that “we are now in a position where we think that maintaining a defence...may be unstatable”.
However, there was no concession, with another £96,000 added to the final settlement. The cost to the public purse was then £377,500.