Calls for more testing as figures reveal more die of coronavirus in Lothian in care homes than in hospital

Care home boss warns of more deaths unless homes get extra funding

Robert Kilgour says residents and staff are enduring "an absolutely torrid time"

THE Scottish Government was today urged to order a dramatic increase in testing after shock new figures revealed more people in Lothian have died from coronavirus in care homes than in hospitals.

Edinburgh South Labour MP Ian Murray said the deaths at care homes across Scotland were “a national scandal”.

The latest statistics from National Registers of Scotland showed the total number of deaths in Lothian where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate was 186 in care homes and 156 in hospital with a further 28 at home.

Across Scotland there have been 886 deaths in care homes and 1188 in hospital.

Holyrood’s health committee was told earlier this week that the virus was “on the rampage” in Scotland’s care homes. Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University, claimed the reproduction rate for the virus - the average number of people each carrier infects - could be as high as ten.

The Scottish Government has said all residents and staff in care homes who have symptoms will be offered testing where appropriate. But it has not followed England in offering tests to all residents.

Mr Murray said: “One desperate family contacted me to warn of an impending catastrophe at the Guthrie House care home in Liberton due to a lack of testing, and they sadly lost their mother a few days later.”

The family had told him they knew of a possible three coronavirus deaths in the home at that time, but had been told only a very small number of tests had been carried out, despite other residents showing symptoms, and doctors could not visit the home to see residents. Thirteen were later reported to have died.

Mr Murray said: “This is no reflection on the dedication and hard work of staff at the care home, who will be struggling emotionally as the people they care for pass away. I have written to the care home to offer my deepest sympathies.”

But he said: “The deaths at care homes across Scotland are a national scandal.

“It’s clear that as a country we have failed to follow the best international practice of ‘test, test, test’, with devastating consequences.

“The mark of a civilised society is how we treat our elderly and we have, to date, singularly failed to protect them.

“The Scottish Government is far behind its targets and we need to dramatically increase testing to save lives and have any hope of a successful coronavirus exit strategy.”

Mr Murray also called for an inquiry into allegations made to the Evening News by a whistleblower about poor protection for residents and staff at the city council-run Jewel House care home in Bingham.

The whistleblower, a member of staff who asked to remain anonymous, claimed residents who had tested positive for coronavirus were allowed to walk around freely and staff had been left without adequate protection.

Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership said precautions against Covid-19 at the home were “robust”.

Another member of staff said: “It’s no wonder residents in care are dying. The government was so slow to get its act together on testing and PPE.

“It’s also hard with some of the people we care for who have Alzheimer’s and other problems. They are hard to tether. You cannot just lock them up. They wander. They get confused by the whole thing and don’t understand why they cannot go and see someone or why no one is visiting them. It can be pretty heartbreaking for them and for us.

“The management of the coronavirus has been useless, not in the care homes , but in the country.”

Meanwhile the boss of one of Scotland’s care home chains said the lives of residents in private care homes were at “grave risk” without more urgent funding from the Scottish Government and councils.

Robert Kilgour, executive chairman of Renaissance Care, which has 15 homes, including some in Edinburgh, said private care homes had been pushed into the “last chance saloon” by the coronavirus pandemic and residents and staff were “enduring an absolutely torrid time”.

He said: “Our brave staff are fighting 24/7 against the coronavirus onslaught, with many working enormous shifts to care for those they consider to be their second families. But unless we get desperately needed funding to the front line of this battle, thousands more elderly people in care homes will die across the UK.

“That is the grim reality facing the care home sector. The Scottish Government and local authorities need to act now.”

Mr Kilgour also launched an outspoken attack on Health Secretary Jeane Freeman after a U-turn on Army mobile units taking testing to care homes.

On TV on Sunday, Ms Freeman was asked whether the newly announced mobile testing centres would visit care homes in Scotland and she said yes.

But the following day, asked about the issue again on radio, she said: “Not our care homes, not at this point.”

Mr Kilgour said: “What really upsets me about that is she marches our care staff - who are brave and hard working and doing an amazing job at the frontline - up the hill by announcing that on Sunday and then I have to march them down the hill again on Monday.

“Has she any idea what that does to the morale of the staff at the front line? Does she not realise the damage it does?

“Mobile testing units going round care homes is exactly the kind of thing we should have, not only now - it should have happened weeks ago. It’s too little, too late, yes - but it’s not too late to make a difference to where we end up.

“To mislead like that is inexcusable. It beggars belief. My fontline staff are doing an amazing job and I was so pleased when I heard it on Sunday - then for hopes to be dashed like that, it’s callous. She should apologise.”

Conservatives called for support for care homes to be ramped up, saying testing in the sector was “patchy”.

Lothian MSP and Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs said: “It is extremely concerning that in Edinburgh and the Lothians we are now in a position where there are more deaths in care homes than there are in hospitals.

“Care home residents are highly at risk to Covid-19 and every measure must be taken to protect care home residents, including full PPE being available, regular testing for Covid-19 and full training for staff on infection prevention.”

Theresa Fyffe, director of the Royal College of Nursing Scotland said: “Care homes are at the centre of this pandemic and a clear strategy is needed to protect residents and staff. We need to ensure straightforward, timely access to PPE, testing and additional nurse staffing to ensure residents can continue to receive safe and effective care.”