Leaked letter raises questions about transfers to care homes

A leaked letter raised fresh questions about the Scottish Government’s role in the transfer of hospital patients to care homes during the pandemic.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman praised NHS boards on April 10 for surpassing “challenging” targets, in a memo obtained by The Sunday Post.

It was previously revealed by the newspaper that dozens of patients were sent to care homes despite testing positive for the coronavirus.

Almost 2,000 residents were to die in the pandemic.

The letter from Ms Freeman to NHS chiefs revealed they had been asked to hit a target of clearing 900 delayed discharges out of hospital by the end of April. She thanks them for making “tremendous progress” after they moved 920 patients out by April 8.

The remarks emerged days after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon denied ministers had been involved in the process and insisted it was the responsibility of hospitals and councils to make individual clinical decisions.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: “This letter confirms in black and white that SNP politicians were driving this policy. The first minister can no longer try to deflect responsibility on to clinicians.”

The Scottish Government said: “Any decision on whether a patient is ready for discharge is a clinical decision, made by the clinician in charge. These decisions are not made by ministers, they are made by health and social care professionals, alongside the patient and their family members.

“There has never been guidance or policy to actively move patients unwell with Covid-19 into care homes.”