First Minister told of plight of mother unable to hug her daughter for five months

Nicola Sturgeon was challenged to do whatever it takes to allow family members who care for elderly or vulnerable relatives into care homes after being told of a daughter who had not been able to hug her mother for five months.

Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ leader, asked the First Minister why she was “opposed” to the restrictions in place which stop people such as Cathie Russell from seeing their families.

The question followed a demonstration outside of the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, organised by Care Home Relatives Scotland, who called on the Scottish Government to lift restrictions imposed on family visits to care homes.

Mr Rennie told the First

Minister how Ms Russell’s visits to the care home are limited to 30 minutes a week, and she and her mother are separated by a plastic screen throughout.

“They have not hugged or held hands for five months,” Mr Rennie said “Her mother’s health is in decline. Cathie says people in care homes need their families.”

He added: “Cathie’s mother comes into contact with multiple carers every day, yet the most important carer of all, her daughter, is left outside. And this is happening to hundreds of people every day.”

Ms Sturgeon reacted with frustration at the tone of Mr Rennie’s question, stating she was not “willingly or deliberately” trying to keep families away from loved ones. She added that the

health secretary Jeane Freeman would be meeting some representatives of the families affected today and said she understood visiting people in care homes is a “fundamental part of health and wellbeing” of those living in care homes.

The First Minister said the restrictions in place are to protect care homes and their residents and to protect lives.

Mr Rennie said he understood the issues which are “at stake” and said following discussions with the national clinical director Jason Leitch and the health secretary he understood a lifting of restrictions have been “under consideration” for weeks.

He said: “To be frank, Cathie can’t wait any longer, she needs change now.

“So extend testing, give her PPE, check her tempera

ture, make her self-isolate, do whatever it takes to keep them safe, but let her in.”

Ms Sturgeon replied: “I will try to take decisions that strike the balance between allowing families to have normal interaction with their loved ones which I absolutely understand but also make sure we are doing everything appropriate to protect people in care homes.”

Labour health spokeswoman Monica Lennon also pressed the First Minister on the “hidden catastrophe” that the psychological and emotional impact of separating care home residents from their loved ones could bring.

Raising the issue at First Minister’s Questions, she said: “We need to change the story before it is too late. We must end this hidden catastrophe.”