The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Freeman denies plot to spin care report
Jeane Freeman has rejected claims the Scottish Government spent days “plotting how to spin” a report on hospital patients being discharged into care homes.
An investigation by Public Health Scotland into the practice – which it is feared may have contributed to the deaths of thousands of elderly residents – found dozens were moved on early in the pandemic despite having tested positive for coronavirus.
The report was made available on October 28, just 15 minutes before Nicola Sturgeon announced her take on its findings during a daily briefing.
It has since emerged ministers were actually handed the conclusions on October 23, three days earlier than previously suggested by Public Health Scotland.
The first minister stressed during the briefing that the report had found “no statistical evidence” to support the claim that hospital discharges of any kind were associated with deadly outbreaks in a number of care homes.
An email released under freedom of information legislation between officials on October 23 shows an unnamed individual stating they had “made a start on a handling plan”, adding: “Explaining the ‘not statistically significant’ in English is challenging me too much at this time of the evening.”
The Scottish Conservatives said the correspondence shows SNP ministers “spent almost a week plotting how to spin a damning report”.
Asked about the claims during the Scottish Government’s daily coronavirus briefing yesterday, Jeane Freeman dismissed them as “absolute nonsense”.
She said: “We did not spend any time trying to spin anything.”
Afurther 353 armed forces personnel will deploy on the “front line” of the Covid-19 vaccination and testing effort in Scotland, the defence secretary has said.
Ben Wallace visited a vaccination centre at Forth Valley College in Stirling yesterday, where he met soldiers administering injections to the public alongside NHS staff.
A total of 466 military personnel have been deployed to help civil authorities in Scotland since the start of the pandemic.
Army personnel will also be playing a role in the coronavirus testing system, at both symptomatic and asymptomatic sites.
Speaking to the PA news agency, Mr Wallace said the Army had been involved in the response to coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.
He said: “They’ve been here right at the very beginning, they’ve been in departments of the Scottish Government, the UK Government, doing planning, dealing with testing and tracing.
“We’re just about to deploy a few hundred more in the testing process.”
He continued: “What you see now is the end of the process, this is the front line, where people get the injection.
“But all the tail of that planning has been going on for a long time, alongside the Scottish Government, alongside NHS Scotland.
“As the vaccine has come into stock, as the demand has needed to be met, then we stand by for that ask. And the ask is generated by the Scottish Government.”
An additional 33 defence medical staff, from across all three services, will join their 57 colleagues already working as part of the Vaccine Quick Reaction Force at centres in Dumfries and Galloway and Fife.
The 98 members of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards already deployed to help set up 80 vaccine centres across Scotland will successfully complete their task on Monday, when they hand over the sites to the NHS.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “Our fantastic British armed forces have played a key role in the fight against Covid-19 in Scotland – from co-ordinating the emergency response in the early days of the pandemic to setting up testing sites in the summer, and assisting with the first vaccination centres.
“We are grateful for all their efforts to keep us safe and help defeat the virus.
“Getting jabs into arms is essential and I am grateful that military personnel will continue to help with Scotland’s vital vaccination programme.”
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They’ve been here right at the very beginning
Senior pupils are being reminded to stay two metres apart in guidance issued just over a week before they are due back in class.
Education Scotland has published advice for secondary schools on which pupils should be permitted in class for practical coursework and how they should be accommodated safely.
It includes a requirement for two-metre distancing between pupils and that they should use separate entrances and exits from pupils already in school due to key worker or vulnerable status.
Part-time attendance of a few secondary pupils from February 22 was announced by the first minister on February 2 as she outlined the first stage of a phased reopening of schools.
Nursery and P1 to P3 children will be back on the same day if the planned schools return – dependent on sufficient progress in tackling coronavirus – is confirmed on Tuesday.
However, publication of the advice yesterday gives some schools just three or four days to prepare, due to the mid-term break.
In Fife teachers are off on holiday next Thursday and Friday, with an in-service day on Wednesday.
In Dundee and Angus they are off on Monday, with Tuesday an in-service day in Dundee.
Limited numbers of S4 to S6 pupils will be allowed in school for practical work deemed critical to their qualifications which can only be done in school.
Schools should, the guidance says, set a clear purpose for learners coming in and make the most effective use of inschool time.
No more than 5% to 8% of the school roll should be in for this purpose – in addition to those pupils already in school.
Schools are advised to prioritise the subject areas which require pupils to be in school, and support remote delivery of practical work as much as possible.
Subjects which pupils could attend school for include: Administration and IT; Art and design; Craft, design, engineering and graphics subjects;
Computing (where students do not have the software or hardware at home);
Drama;
Home economics (practical cookery and cake craft where resources are required);
Media (where creation of film requires specialist equipment);
Modern languages/esol (speaking);
Music and music technology;
PE (some elements outdoor only); Science.
The guidance states schools must:
Communicate with parents, carers and pupils in advance to reinforce strict Covid-19 mitigations and explain how distancing will work;
Make best use of their buildings, and space out learners to allow physical distancing and be clear on routines for meeting and greeting and exiting;
Minimise the flow of learners in and out of school;
Carefully manage lunchbreak and other social times in line with mitigations;
Arrange school transport taking account of part-time attendance.
The guidance says: “Schools and staff are best placed to determine the local arrangements that reflect the key principles and other advice set out in this guidance.”
Schools are expected to be in touch with families of those pupils who will be permitted to attend.