Scotland's Health Secretary to face questions from MPs

Scotland’s Health Secretary will be quizzed by members of Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee about the coronavirus outbreak.

Jeane Freeman and national clinical director Jason Leitch are expected to face questions on Thursday – about the impact the virus has had in care homes north of the border.

West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine Tory MP Andrew Bowie described the situation in Scotland's care homes during the crisis as "the single biggest failure of devolution", echoing a report from think tank Common Weal in May.

Statistics published by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) on Wednesday showed 47% of the 4,000 suspected deaths from Covid-19 occurred in care homes, the most of any setting.

Mr Bowie said: “This is the first opportunity that Scottish MPs have had since the beginning of the Covid outbreak to question the SNP Government on their handling of this crisis.

“During that time, Ms Freeman has been responsible for staggeringly high care home deaths, which now outnumber hospital deaths.

“The SNP Government's reckless decisions to move hospital patients into care homes without mandatory Covid testing must be accounted for.”

The Scottish Government unveiled unverified statistics on the number of infections in hospitals.

They showed up to 1,800 patients and staff could have contracted the disease while in hospital.

Mr Bowie said: “Ms Freeman will also have to explain how so many patients and staff were able to contract Covid-19 on hospital wards.

“And the Health Secretary must answer why the SNP Government has failed to fulfil their own promises on testing with health boards and care homes unable to test their staff.”

He added: “The Common Weal has described the impact of Covid on Scotland's care homes as the 'single biggest failure of devolution'.

“Given the other failures that the Health Secretary can claim, there is significant competition for that title.”

The Scottish Affairs Committee is holding an inquiry into the outbreak and its effects on Scotland, with interim chief medical officer Dr Gregor Smith and Scottish Secretary Alister Jack already appearing before MPs.

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