Quarter of all Covid-19 deaths are in care homes
●New figures reveal scale of impact in care home sector ● Charities call for elderly to receive fair and equal treatment ●Families will be given right to say goodbye to dying relatives
Almost a quarter of deaths from Covid-19 in Scotland have taken place in care homes, new figures have revealed, as the First Minister announced a move to test all patients and staff with symptoms in such establishments.
There are around 1,000 care facilities north of the Border, with 433 having reported at least one case of coronavirus as of Sunday, Nicola Sturgeon said at her daily media briefing in Edinburgh yesterday.
The latest weekly report from the National Records of Scotland (NRS) registered a total of 962 fatalities with Covid-19 mentioned in the death certificate.
Of those, 237 (24.6 per cent) were in care homes, 596 (62 per cent) were in hospitals, and 128 (13.3 per cent) were in homes or other places listed as non-institutions.
Opposition leaders said it was now clear that elderly patients should not be leaving hospital and going into a care home without being tested for coronavirus.
Health bosses are now looking to expand testing at care homes across the country, with the NRS report showing that 70 per cent of all deaths from Covid-19 have been among people aged 75 and over.
The First Minister said that all
symptomatic patients in care homes will now be tested as it was important to reassure residents, staff and the wider public – but stressed she “did not have evidence” bringing this measure in earlier would have prevented deaths.
Ms Sturgeon said: “This shouldn’t need said, but I want to say it.
“The residents of care homes matter every bit as much to us as people in the community or in hospital.”
The SNP leader added: “We already test the first residents in any care home to become symptomatic of coronavirus in order to establish the presence of the virus in that home and then ensure that all appropriate measures are taken to protect all residents.
“However, we’re moving now to test all symptomatic patients in care homes.
“The advice to me is that while this is not strictly necessary, nor will it change the clinical management of cases at care homes, it is nevertheless important for the confidence of relatives, staff and the wider public, given the vulnerability of care homes.
“But let me also stress that guidance to care homes is already very clear about isolation and social distancing, and that remains the most important factor in making sure that we’re managing and preventing infections in care homes.”
In response to the publication of the NRS data, Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw said: “It’s now clear that care homes, and their staff, are every bit as much on the frontline as hospitals and paramedics.
“The scale of the deaths and cases will have shocked people across the country.
“It’s now more essential than ever that these workers are given the PPE and access to testing they need.
“Clearly, elderly patients shouldn’t be leaving hospital and going into a care home without being tested for coronavirus.
“If the SNP government takes a different approach to testing on this specific matter, it will again be under pressure to show why this is of benefit to the people of Scotland.”
Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said every person admitted to a care home should be tested for coronavirus on arrival, while Scottish Labour has called on the Scottish Government to bring forward an emergency plan to tackle coronavirus in Scotland’s care homes.
Lisa Lenton, chairwoman of the Care Provider Alliance, which represents large care provider associations in the
UK, had earlier told the Financial Times that her members had been hearing about “lots of cases where symptomatic patients are being put down as dying of the disease without testing, and similarly symptomatic patients who are being put down as dying of their underlying health condition”.
UK health secretary Matt Hancock has said he is “determined” to ensure that everyone needing a Covid-19 test should have access to one, with testing remaining a “key” part of the UK government’s coronavirus battle plan.
Mr Rennie said: “Every person being admitted to a care home should be tested for coronavirus – no exception.
“For homes that have been diligently applying safety measures to keep residents safe, this is an additional risk they should not be forced to accept.
“While new occupants may still need to be isolated, those living and working in the homes deserve this reassurance.”
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: “The increase in the number of deaths announced today is deeply saddening. Every death from coronavirus is a tragedy.
“What today’s figure makes clear is the huge human cost of coronavirus in our care homes. It is not good enough that outbreaks in care homes and hospitals have up to now been treated differently.
“Scottish Labour welcomes the announcement that testing will begin for all symptomatic residents in care homes, but assurances are needed that this testing will also be extended to staff.”
The NRS figures are published weekly, in contrast to the daily figures released by Health Protection Scotland (HPS), which only count laboratory confirmations of coronavirus and recorded 699 deaths as of yesterday.
A total of 608 deaths relating to Covid-19 were registered between 6 and 12 April, more than double the figure of 282 registered between 20 March and 5 April, according to the NRS.
There were 62 deaths between 23 and 29 March, and ten in the week of 16-22 March, when the registration mentioned the virus.
The total number of all deaths registered in Scotland from 6-12 April was 1,696, 79 per cent (896 deaths) higher than the average for the same week over the past five years of 1,100.
“This shouldn’t need saidbutiwanttosayit. The residents of care homes matter every bit as much to us as people in the community or in hospital”
NICOLA STURGEON