Home deaths really people we have lost
“Yesterday’s National Records of Scotland figures show a 62 per cent reduction in the number of Covid deaths which have taken place in care homes over the last three weeks and that is a larger decline than we’ve seen for deaths in hospitals or in people’s homes.”
In Parliament on February 17, the First Minister also referred to “encouraging news” on care home deaths in the NRS statistics.
She said: “Deaths overall have fallen now for three consecutive weeks, deaths that occurred in hospitals have fallen by 11 per cent and deaths in people’s own homes have fallen by 29 per cent.
“However, deaths in care homes, which were the early focus of the vaccination programme, have fallen by 62 per cent.”
Last week, Freeman also insisted NRS statistics showed that from February 22 to 28, of 227 deaths relating to Covid-19, just 26 were in care homes.
Sturgeon previously defended Scotland’s record-keeping of care home deaths af ter England nd reported fewer fatalities.
In May 2020, she said: “It’s not for me to explain England’s figures but I think here there is, at least on the face of it, a question of under-reporting in England.
“I’m confident Scotland’s figures are robust.”
Pol ice are investigating Scotland’s care home death toll. . Operation Koper star ted d gathering information after an n outcry from victims’ families.
The investigation came after er Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC C announced in May all confirmed or suspected Covid-19 deaths in care homes should be reported to the Crown Office.
It emerged in November that Freeman changed the rules on dischargingdischa Covid-19 patients fromfromhhospital to care homes two days aftera the Sunday Mail exposedexpos the practice. An official report told how she introducedin a new policy on ApApril 21 requiring anyone infectedinfe with the v irus to returnre two negative tests beforebefor being transferred. The movemov followed our front page reportrepo on April 19 revealing that staff at Newcarron Court CareCar Home, in Falkirk, had beenbee warned of uncontrolled SHOCK Our front page last year told of crisis admissions of individuals “highly likely” to be carrying the illness.
Scot l and ’ s vac c inat ion programme has delivered second doses of the coronavirus vaccine to more than half of care home residents. In total, 17,258 residents (58 per cent in older adult care homes and 54 per cent in all care homes) have had a second dose.
The Scottish Government said: “Figures published by NRS are based on the location where someone dies, whereas those by the Care Inspectorate include residents of care homes who died in hospital.
“Both show similar trends in terms of a rapid decrease in the number of deaths recorded.
“In the four weeks up to February 28, the number of deaths of care home residents recorded by NRS fell by 73 per cent while those recorded by the Care Inspectorate fell by 74 per cent. All deaths involving Covid-19 in hospital fell by 38 per cent.”
accused of manipulating number of fatalities