Care snub cost lives
Boss slams ministers over Covid planning
The lack of social care voices in Scottish Government pandemic decisions “absolutely” cost lives in care homes, an inquiry has heard.
Donald Macaskill, chief executive of Scottish Care, told the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry the government was warned it needed to include frontline experience in policymaking.
He told the inquiry it was a “real failure” of the Scottish Government not to have a social care director, similar to the clinical role held by Jason Leitch.
Macaskill also said the lack of expertise was evident in the decision not to immediately test hospital patients being discharged into care homes.
Quizzed yesterday by co-lead counsel to the inquiry Stuart Gale KC, Macaskill said: “I am absolutely convinced that the lack of engagement and involvement in planning the early stage of the social care sector in anything upward than presence... that lack did and sadly cost many people their lives, both staff and people who were residents in our care homes and citizens in our communities.”
Macaskill went on to say that Operation Koper – a special Crown investigation
I think personally it is a stain on justice system DONALD MACASKILL ON WORKERS PROBE
into all care home deaths during the pandemic – has “broken” staff in the sector, who he claims feel victimised by the probe.
He added: “I know personally there have been a number of individuals for whom investigations as part of Operation Koper, even having to fill out the 27 questions per death for each resident when you maybe lost 10 in the space of a week, even that process has broken them.
“There is a complete imbalance and I think personally it is a real stain on the justice system in Scotland that this disproportionate action still remains against a workforce who by vast majority tried to do their best.”
The Crown Office said: “This is the single most significant and challenging death investigation we have ever undertaken.”
The inquiry, before Lord Brailsford, continues.