Covid care home deaths were not inevitable. SNP and Tories were too slow to act – Ian Murray MP

Ian Murray MP hits out about inadequate PPE and testing for Covid in care homes – despite social media warriors who try not to let anyone hold SNP to account
Ian Murray's thoughts are with the families and friends of the residents who died at Guthrie House Care Home in Lasswade, and with the staff who looked after them with such compassion and professionalismIan Murray's thoughts are with the families and friends of the residents who died at Guthrie House Care Home in Lasswade, and with the staff who looked after them with such compassion and professionalism
Ian Murray's thoughts are with the families and friends of the residents who died at Guthrie House Care Home in Lasswade, and with the staff who looked after them with such compassion and professionalism

The tragic loss of life at a care home in Liberton brings the human cost of coronavirus very close. Thirteen residents at the Guthrie House Care Home in my constituency have died following a suspected Covid-19 outbreak.

My thoughts are with all the families and friends of the residents, and with the staff who cared for them with such compassion and professionalism.

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The devastating news is a reminder that behind every dry statistic there is a family in mourning. The latest figures published yesterday revealed that, as of April 19, there have been 1,616 deaths related to coronavirus in Scotland. Of these, a third – 537 – have been recorded in care homes, and 35 per cent of Scotland’s care homes have a current outbreak of the virus.

As Nicola Sturgeon said during her press conference yesterday, deaths in care homes are not inevitable, but her Government and the UK Government have been slow to act. Which begs the question: can more be done to prevent such a tragic loss of life?

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Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard is right to call for a proper contingency plan for Scotland’s care homes.

The Scottish Government must listen to the concerns of care workers, and of care home residents and their families, to give additional support to those running, and working in, care homes.

Inadequate provision of PPE

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They should be treated as part of the front line in the fight against coronavirus, which means receiving the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) they require.

It’s clear that PPE provision has, to date, been inadequate and the growing national scandal is becoming a daily feature of the news. Rather than giving credence to nonsense suggestions that new PPE supplies are being directed to England, I wish Scottish ministers would acknowledge that mistakes have been made and redouble efforts. Admitting when you have got things wrong is a strength, not a weakness. It also allows for the problem to be sorted quicker.

As well as PPE shortages, the issue of Covid-19 testing for care home workers and residents has not been addressed with the urgency required. Owners say they have repeatedly asked the Scottish Government for testing to be introduced, but little to no progress has been made.

The Government’s recent announcement that testing will begin for all symptomatic residents in care homes is welcome. However, there is an urgent need to increase testing for staff. With vast numbers of care workers self-isolating, the failures to date may have serious ramifications for the safety of staff, their families, and residents.

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It is heart-breaking for the workers who are coping with the rise in deaths due to coronavirus. We shouldn’t be adding to their stress and anxiety.

And they’re not the only care workers being exposed to the risk of contracting Covid-19. Many social care workers look after elderly and vulnerable people in their own homes.

Inundated with distressing cases

The charity Scottish Personal Assistant Employers Network (SPAEN) this week warned that personal assistants, who provide care for people at home, are still struggling to access PPE. There needs to be an immediate delivery of PPE to every personal assistant who needs it. The Scottish Government said they were taking responsibility for this, but it is not moving.

We are all incredibly grateful for the amazing work carried out by those who care for others during this crisis. The very least they deserve is for their government to ensure their safety.

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For those receiving care, and for those who are elderly or ill, this remains an extremely anxious time.

My constituency office has been inundated with so many distressing cases of people struggling to get basic supplies like food, as reported in the Edinburgh Evening News earlier this week. The introduction of a complicated scheme to ensure vulnerable people can get supermarket delivery slots was mishandled by the Scottish Government, arriving too late and with problems with the system adding to access problems.

There have been too many failings in Scotland’s response to this crisis. For some social media warriors, daring to question the Scottish Government is unacceptable – as if demanding scrutiny and accountability of the decisions which affect us all is somehow an attack on national pride. That is not a healthy political society.

I will continue to stand up for my constituents and fight for the resources they need as we all battle this killer virus.

Those that are looking after us, keeping life moving, and working on the front line deserve nothing less.

Ian Murray is the Labour MP for Edinburgh South

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