Hansard

I thank the Scottish Greens for bringing this very important debate to the chamber. Alongside the vaccination programme and the testing programme, compliance with self-isolation is vital to ensuring that the transmission of Covid-19 is reduced.

I recognise that self-isolation is difficult practically, financially or emotionally for many people. Despite that hardship, the vast majority of people comply when they are asked to do so. It is important that we are clear about the facts. A recent University College London study on compliance with self-isolation across all four nations set out that 62 per cent of people developing symptoms complied with the isolation period and 80 per cent of people who had been in contact with someone who had tested positive complied with the guidance. Although the latest research shows that the rates of compliance are much higher than figures that are often quoted, including in the chamber, we still have more to do, of course.

We will continue to build on the substantial support that is available to people who are self-isolating to ensure that, if someone needs help to self-isolate, they can access that.

In 2020, the Scottish Government commenced a number of support services to ensure that vital support is available should people need it. Those services include the self-isolation assistance service, which is a proactive triage call service that is delivered by local authorities. Everyone who is contacted via test and protect is offered a call from their local authority to discuss all the support that is available—both the financial support and the wider support package. Indeed, that service can also be accessed by anyone by phoning the national assistance helpline. Those services provide essential medication, access to food and groceries, and access to local services. Many local authorities also offer wellbeing services, such as newspaper delivery, befriending and dog-walking services.

Local authority staff have made 91,000 calls to assess the needs of people who are self-isolating, and more than 26,000 support referrals were made to help those in need through those services from October to January. I thank all the local authority staff who are delivering that vital support, and I confirm that the Scottish Government will meet the additional administration costs for that, once they are agreed by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

I have heard some fantastic examples of support being provided. A local authority staff member arranged the delivery of breast milk from a new mother to the hospital. A call handler supported a single mother so that her daughter could celebrate her birthday with a cake, a card and a present. A single person who received food delivered to them was also given the support that they needed to re-establish their electricity supply.

In recognising that local authorities best understand the needs of the people in their area, I am also keen to ensure that we enable the sharing of best practice in delivering those services. To that end, we are reviewing the existing support services with local authorities to consider how to standardise the offer nationally. Where local authorities identify opportunities or demand for a particular type of support, we will work to look at unlocking the existing resources to deliver that support to more people across the country.

For many people, though, the financial support is most vital to ensuring that they can afford to comply with a request to self-isolate. The Trades Union Congress today described the UK Government’s statutory sick pay provision as “paltry” and called for a decent level of sick pay to be offered to those who are required to self-isolate. I very much echo that call. The UK’s position on statutory sick pay is far less generous than any other country’s.

The purpose of the self-isolation support grants from the Scottish Government is to help low-income workers who cannot go to work because they must self-isolate and who will lose income as a result. From 16 February, the reach of that grant will be extended to workers who are in receipt of council tax reduction. It will also become available to those with caring responsibilities for someone over the age of 16 who is asked to self-isolate, where the carer fulfils the other eligibility criteria. Workers who earn the real living wage of £9.50 or less will also be eligible for the grant. We will continue to work with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to develop clear guidance on those changes for local authorities and for people who have been asked to self-isolate from 2 February onwards.

I also recognise that there is more to do to ensure that people who are self-isolating are aware of the support that is available to them should they need it. To that end, we will undertake a further national media campaign to promote the available support. Public Health Scotland officials have also revised communication materials that are used as part of the contact tracing service to be even more explicit that, if someone needs support, it is there for them.

If we wish to beat the virus, we must all play our part, whether that is self-isolating, going for a test or complying with restrictions. I am grateful to the many employers who have supported their employees who need to self-isolate. I am mindful of the many challenges that businesses face at this time.

However, it is clear that too many people feel unable to stay at home and self-isolate when required, because of a fear of their employer not allowing them to be absent while self-isolating. People who are required to self-isolate but who attend their place of work present a serious public health risk. Encouraging staff to attend work during their isolation period puts that business at risk of temporary closure due to an outbreak. It puts the lives of other employees and their risk as well. By the end of February, all people who are contact traced will be asked whether they would like a notification from Public Health Scotland to confirm that they are required to self-isolate and the dates of their self-isolation period. That notification will make clear to the employer that the person should not be attending the workplace, and it will ensure that people who are self-isolating are supported to stay at home. [Interruption.]