The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Son seeks urgent review of failings in care homes
FM’S condolences accepted but Boris Johnson scorned for U-turn on meeting
A grieving son has pressed First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for an urgent review of care home failings after she expressed her condolences to him in parliament.
Alan Wightman said sympathy would not prevent further deaths if a second wave of Covid-19 were to sweep the country.
Mr Wightman, whose 88-year-old mother Helen died of the virus in a Fife care home in May, said: “It does mean something to hear the first minister express her condolences but that in itself is not enough.”
He reserved particular scorn for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, claiming he had not extended consolation to any grieving family and had performed a U-turn on a pledge to meet members of a bereaved families group.
Mr Wightman said: “Nicola Sturgeon is well ahead of Mr Johnson in that regard but neither one of them has committed to doing what we want which is an immediate public inquiry into the first phase and rapid response.”
His mother was a resident at Scoonie House in Leven, which was at the centre of an outbreak during the early stages of the lockdown.
He said he did not believe lessons had been learned and added: “It should not have happened the first time round and must not happen a second time.”
Mr Wightman, of Forfar, was responding to comments made at First Minister’s Questions yesterday, when Labour leader Richard Leonard said adult social care would only be effective if what went wrong was properly understood.
Expressing condolences to Mr Wightman and anyone else who has lost a loved one in a care home as a result of Covid-19, Ms Sturgeon said: “I deeply regret, and I know everybody does, every single loss of life in this pandemic overall and particularly – because of the vulnerability of the people involved – those who lost their lives in care homes.
“We learn lessons as we go along in that and we take a whole range of advice on the steps that we put in place.”
“That is why, on a range of things, from the guidance that is in place through to testing and care home visiting, we’ve changed our position as we learn more about the virus experience people have had.
“We will continue to do that, and while
“It does mean something to hear the first minister express her condolences but that in itself is not enough.
ALAN WIGHTMAN
I’m not complacent and every single death is one too many, we have seen over a number of weeks the situation in care homes improve in terms of a reduction in cases and thankfully a vast reduction in the number of older people who are losing their lives.”
Mr Johnson has told MPS he cancelled a meeting with the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group because of an ongoing legal challenge – a claim dismissed as rubbish by Mr Wightman.
The prime minister said on Sky News last week he would “of course” meet with bereaved families but when questioned yesterday, he said: “It turns out that this particular group... are currently in litigation against the government and I will certainly meet them once that litigation is concluded.”
Mr Wightman responded: “It’s not true.
“We have asked this man five times to meet us and it’s been refused.
“Nobody in our group is seeking any type of compensation.
“We have suffered and we don’t want any other families to suffer in the same way.”