A boss of a care home that has lost 9 residents to coronavirus has blasted the Scottish government on the lack of testing for covid-19.
Jack Ryan, chief executive of Newark Care, revealed he had repeatedly asked for testing of staff and residents.
In a scathing letter to the First Minister, he accused Nicola Sturgeon of “inaccurate and misleading” statements on the issue.
It was revealed this week that around one quarter of the 962 covid-19 related deaths occurred in care homes.
Industry insiders believe vulnerable people are at huge risk and they have been critical of the lack of personal protective equipment.
Thistle Healthcare, which runs ten homes in Scotland, disclosed that 127 staff are off work over Coronavirus issues.
In his letter to Sturgeon, Ryan addressed her statement earlier this month on testing: “You stated that it is standard practice for testing of early cases to be carried out within care homes.”
However, he said of the Newark facility in Newton Mearns:
“You need to be aware that, despite having now lost 9 residents whose deaths have been reported as coronavirus related, there has been no testing at any point.
“All occurrences were reported to public health, East Renfrewshire HSPC and the Care Inspectorate. We have asked repeatedly for testing, from the first instance and for every case which developed in the days that followed.”
He continued: “Whilst your pledge that testing will now be available across the sector is welcomed, your statement about early testing being ‘standard practice’ is inaccurate and misleading.”
He concluded: “I understand that you and your colleagues rely on guidance being followed by public services and that they report back with integrity. I suggest that this is not the case with regard to testing and I believe it is a matter which requires to be addressed with some urgency.”
Jackson Carlaw, the Scottish Tory leader, said: “The evidence from this care home will not be isolated, and that is of grave concern.
“They are saying very clearly that, despite several residents dying from this cruel virus, no progress has been made on testing at all.
“These are the types of concerns that should be shooting right to the top of Nicola Sturgeon’s priority list."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “These deaths are absolutely heart-breaking and ministers would like to offer sincere condolences to the loved ones of those who have lost their lives.
“Local health protection teams are responsible for the management of outbreaks in care homes, including any decisions about testing, and we have asked the Care Inspectorate to investigate, as a matter of urgency, the lives lost at the Newark home.
“On Wednesday, 15 April, the First Minister announced Scotland was moving to a system where any symptomatic patient in a care home will be tested for Covid-19. This builds on existing infection management procedures where initial suspected cases would be tested to establish whether an outbreak has occurred.”
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