78 Covid-positive patients sent to Scotland's care homes in early stages of pandemic
But a report by Public Health Scotland says hospital discharges didn't contribute to a significantly higher risk of an outbreak
A report has found 78 patients who’d tested positive for coronavirus were discharged from hospitals into care homes in Scotland in the early stages of the pandemic.
The study by Public Health Scotland shows that between March 1 and April 21 there were 3,599 discharges from hospitals to care homes, with the majority (81.9%) not tested for coronavirus.
Of the 650 who were tested, 78 received a positive result while in hospital and of these patients, ten tested negative before they were discharged while the remainder did not.
At her daily media briefing in Edinburgh First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the report concludes that allowing for other factors, such as the size of a care home, “hospital discharges were not found to have contributed to a significantly higher risk of an outbreak”.
She added: “Nothing in it detracts from the tragedy of the deaths that have occurred in care homes over the course of the pandemic and nothing ever will detract from the heartbreak of those bereaved.”
The report noted that on April 21, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said Covid-19 patients being discharged from hospitals to care homes should have given two negative tests before being moved.
Between April 22 and May 31, there were 1,605 discharges from hospitals to care homes, with 93% of them (1,493) being tested for Covid-19, in line with changes in clinical guidance.
Of these, 1,215 tested negative and 278 tested positive.
Of those who tested positive, 233 had a negative test result before discharge, though 12 had only one negative test.
A total of 45 did not have a negative test before they were discharged.
The report states: “It is important to note that there are valid clinical reasons for individuals not to be tested prior to discharge, relating to their capacity to consent to testing and avoiding causing distress, and to appropriateness of testing, e.g. in end of life care situations.”
But relatives who lost loved ones in care homes, and trade unions representing workers, are telling Clyde 1 News the report only strengthens the argument for a full public enquiry to be held.
Alan Wightman’s 88-year-old mum passed away in a care home in Fife in May. He says we need to make sure this can’t happen again: “I don’t feel this report teaches us much about lessons to be learned and ways to do things better going forward.
“I’m not encouraged that we’re going to do better this time round, in the second wave, than we did first time round.
Rhea Wolfson from the GMB Union says their members have been left upset by the report’s findings. She said: “The report doesn’t begin to tell the full story. It seems that everything is being done to throw low paid care workers under the bus for the disastrous decisions being taken at the highest level.
“All this report has done is reinforce the need for an urgent public enquiry, and a national care response that properly values workers and service users alike.”
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