THE Health Secretary has signalled her support for a wide ranging review into Scotland’s care home sector.
Jeane Freeman said the pandemic had exposed a number of areas “where we might want to look for improvements in the future”.
Her comments came as Police Scotland confirmed it is investigating the deaths of three women at the troubled Home Farm Care Home on Skye.
There have been 10 deaths at the HC-One run facility during the pandemic. Of the home’s 34 residents, 30 have tested positive for coronavirus. So too have 29 members of staff.
NHS Highland has effectively taken over the running of the home, following legal action raised by the Care Inspectorate.
Asked at the Scottish Government’s daily coronavirus briefing whether a full-scale review of the sector is required, Freeman said: “I do believe that that is something that we need to look to as we go forward.
“Right now, of course, our focus is dealing with this pandemic but I think it has shone a light on a number of areas where there have been improvements we might want to hold onto and other areas where we might want to look for improvements in the future.”
The investigation, reported in the Scottish Mail on Sunday, comes as Police Scotland also said it was investigating complaints at a home in East Dunbartonshire.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We can confirm we are investigating the circumstances of the deaths of three women, aged 84, 86 and 88, at Home Farm Care Home on Skye. Inquiries are continuing.”
READ MORE: Colin Fox: Why Scotland needs to have a National Care Service
A HC-One spokesperson said the company will fully cooperate with any investigations.
They added: “We recognised that improvements were needed at Home Farm and therefore apologise to our residents, their families, and the local community. The safety and wellbeing of our residents is our top priority and we have already made significant progress.”
Earlier this month, the Lord Advocate said all care home deaths from confirmed or suspected Covid-19 must be reported to the Crown.
A Crown Office spokesperson said: “The Crown’s reporting requirements in respect of Covid-related deaths allow for a multi-agency response, and for appropriate investigations to be made in light of the specific circumstances.
“It would not be appropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation.”
Earlier, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said Freeman should “come clean” over the scale of discharging untested hospital patients into care homes.
Scottish Government delayed discharge figures indicated 921 patients were released from hospitals into care homes in March, but the minister did not announce mandatory testing of
all new care home residents until April 21. Leonard had previously raised concerns over the figures when the Health Secretary suggested around 300 people had been discharged to care homes.
She has since said the information was given in error and apologised.
He said: “The impact of coronavirus in Scotland’s care homes has been little short of horrifying and it is clear that discharging infected patients to care homes has played a key role in fanning the flames of this virus. The Cabinet Secretary owes it to the people of Scotland and the families of the residents and staff affected to come clean over the failure of the Government to protect the most vulnerable.”
Freeman told the briefing the decision to release patients who were able to leave hospital to their own homes and care homes was made to ensure the NHS was not overwhelmed.
“As the First Minister has said I too – if I had known everything I know now had known then – then we may have made different decisions about whether or not every patient who is being discharged from hospital, who was a Covid patient, was tested to ensure that they were negative.
“What is the case is that they were discharged from hospital because they were clinically well,” the Health Secretary added.
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