COVID-19 patients sent to care homes
NHS Tayside admits to discharging those with the virus from hospital
Six COVID-19 patients were discharged by NHS Tayside into care homes after health trusts south of the border stopped this practice, the PA can reveal.
On April 15 NHS England made it mandatory for patients to test negative for COVID-19 before being discharged from hospitals into care homes.
The Scottish Government did not follow suit until April 21 and it has emerged between April 15 and 21 six COVID-positive NHS Tayside patients were discharged into care homes.
Back in May, a Freedom of Information request revealed that between March 1 and April 15, NHS Tayside discharged one COVID-positive patient into a care home.
NHS Tayside said the patient was discharged into a care home already dealing with COVID-19 and it was done with the cooperation of the care home.
On August 16, a national newspaper published the results of a nationwide investigation which showed six NHS Tayside patients who tested positive were discharged into care homes between March 1 and April 21.
But after being approached by our local democracy reporter, NHS Tayside admitted is had in fact discharged a total of seven COVID-positive patients into care homes— one prior to April 15 and six between April 15 and April 21.
NHS Tayside did not say if any of these patients were from Perth and Kinross.
A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said: “As data validation takes up to eight weeks, small fluctuations can occur.
“Our clinicians have reviewed the records for patients discharged to care homes and we can confirm that between March 1 and April 15, one patient was discharged into a care home following a positive test for COVID-19.
“From April 15 to April 21, six patients were transferred to care homes.
“Four patients followed our local pathway and had a 14-day period between their positive test and discharge to a care home.
“One patient was admitted from their care home and was fit to transfer back. As there was an active outbreak in the care home at that time, this was clinically assessed as appropriate.
“One patient was transferred back to the care home in agreement with the home that the patient would be isolated and all infection control measures and precautions would be in place until day 14.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said there was guidance “requiring clinical screening of patients being transferred from hospitals to care homes” from mid-March but until April 21 decisions around patient testing lay with hospitals on a “case-by-case basis.”
They added: “The cabinet secretary announced from April 21 that all admissions to care homes from hospital should be tested for coronavirus (COVID-19), regardless of symptoms.
“While this was announced as a policy for all hospital discharges from April 21, testing for COVID-19 had been available for a significant time before then, and clinical decisions around testing were for hospitals to make on a caseby-case basis.
“At all times our actions have been guided by the best and most up-to-date expert scientific and medical advice and as we learned more about the impact of the virus, we ensured all guidance and decisions followed that changing landscape.
“While there will undoubtedly be lessons to learn when a new virus is encountered, care was taken to put guidance in place that was considered to be appropriate at each stage.
“From mid-March that included guidance requiring clinical screening of patients being transferred from hospitals to care homes.”
Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Alexander Stewart MBE told the PA it was “despicable” that COVID-19 patients were transferred into care homes.
The Conservative MSP also questioned why this information could only be uncovered after journalists launched FOIs and questioned the jump in figures, saying it brought “into serious question how much under-reporting of cases has gone on to save face.”
He added: “The first minister and SNP Government ministers have continually indicated that these transfers occurred as a result of clinical advice but what has transpired is that hospitals were put under pressure to release bed-blockers into care homes.”
Labour Carse of Gowrie councillor Alasdair Bailey said: “Whilst I’m reassured that the majority of those discharged had been 14 days since their positive test, I remain seriously concerned that we’re learning today that even more people were discharged with COVID-positive status at the peak of the recent crisis than we were previously aware of.
“I think, however, that questions need to be asked of what the motivation was for discharging these people to care homes. If it was done in accordance with their and their relatives’ wishes and to care homes fully prepared with all appropriate PPE and tried and tested infection control procedures then this is less of a concern.
“On the other hand, if it was motivated by a patient discharge time target then that would be concerning.”
This week Nicola Sturgeon announced the government had asked Public Health Scotland to look at patients who were discharged from hospitals to care homes and find out if they had been tested and if not, why not.
She told MSPs they had asked for this exercise to be completed by the end of September, after which the Scottish Government will reveal the results.