Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 04 November 2020
I do not agree with the member’s characterisation of that as incautious. I believe that we did what we believed to be right at the time with the resources that were available to us, and we changed that. Yes, about two thirds of individuals who were discharged went into the community.
The Care Inspectorate’s recent inquiry into care at home and housing support services could not have been clearer about the hard work and flexibility of care at home staff in meeting the needs of people during the pandemic. They, along with others, of course have my grateful thanks for all that they do.
Families rightly want answers. If I were one of those families, I would want answers, too. Therefore, I welcome the actions of the Crown to establish a dedicated unit to receive and investigate the reports of Covid-19 deaths, whether through employment or as a resident in a care home. The findings of that work, which investigates individual cases, will also provide vital information to help make improvements for the future.
A public inquiry is undoubtedly important—we have no disagreement on that. However, right now—in the middle of the pandemic, when all the resources in care homes and the national health service are stretched severely—is not the time to divert any resource to setting up an “immediate” public inquiry, as the motion demands.
I move amendment S5M-23226.2, to leave out from “calls” to end and insert:
“also notes the report’s conclusion that care home size has the strongest association with outbreaks of COVID-19, and that this association persists after taking account of other care home characteristics, including discharge from hospital; further notes the publication of the rapid Independent Care Home Review, which through root cause analysis reviews the factors in four care homes, which were relevant to the management of COVID-19 within the homes; welcomes the Care Inspectorate’s inquiry on delivering care at home and housing support services during the COVID-19 pandemic; recognises that the recommendations of these reports have helped lead to the development of the Adult Social Care Winter Plan; believes that a public inquiry into all aspects of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including in the tragic loss of the lives of over 2,000 care home residents, should be held as quickly as is practicable, once the country is through the immediacy of dealing with the pandemic; considers that expert input and review must continue to be sought as the response to COVID-19 continues to evolve in light of emerging evidence on the virus, and believes that all of this evidence should be shared with the Independent Review of Adult Social Care, together with the views of those receiving social care and their families, in order to best shape the development of a National Care Service for Scotland.”
Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.
- S5M-23226.2 Care Homes Motion