SNP must publish care home Covid-19 figures

12 Apr 2020

The number of suspected coronavirus cases in care homes must be published as a matter of urgency, the Scottish Conservatives have said.

It was reported this morning that around half of Scotland’s care homes have been hit by Covid-19.

However, the Care Inspectorate could wait three months before making any official statistics public.

Shadow health secretary Miles Briggs has now written to his counterpart Jeane Freeman urging her to release the details as soon as possible.

There have been a number of Covid-19 deaths recorded in care homes across the country, with some facilities suffering several fatalities.

And workers at those homes have complained about a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Miles Briggs said:

“The SNP government will have these figures from the Care Inspectorate, so there’s no excuse for them to be kept secret.

“Staff, residents and families are worried sick about the impact of coronavirus in care homes.

“That’s why it’s essential they are given all the necessary information.

“We know transparency doesn’t come naturally to this SNP government, and we have long complained about its secrecy agenda.

“But now’s the time for this habit to be dropped, and for these crucial statistics to be made public as quickly as possible.”