Dumfries and Galloway care homes being investigated by Crown Office unit proving covid-linked deaths

Care homes in the region are among those being investigated by a special Crown Office unit set up to probe Covid-linked deaths.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s dedicated Covid-19 Death Investigation Team (CDIT) is probing the circumstances of coronavirus-related deaths in 474 care homes across Scotland.

The CDIT was set up in May after Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC said all confirmed or suspected coronavirus deaths in care homes should be reported to the Crown Office, as well as deaths of people who may have contracted the virus at work.

A Crown Office spokesman said the team had received 1,905 death reports as the time of the last published figure in December, with 629 reports in that month alone.

He added: “The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has established a dedicated team to deal with reports of Covid-19 or presumed Covid-19 deaths in care homes or where the deceased may have contracted the virus in the course of their employment.

“The Covid-19 Deaths Investigation Team receives and deals with those reports and will work with the relevant agencies to ensure that all necessary and appropriate investigations are undertaken and that each investigation progresses as expediently as it can.”

But the chief executive of Scottish Care, which represents the care home sector, said the investigations are “wholly disproportionate”.

Donald Macaskill said: “Frontline staff and managers are spending huge amounts of time providing data and information for these investigations.

“This would be challenging at the best of times but in the middle of a pandemic and with dozens of care homes fighting active outbreaks, this has added to a real sense of exhaustion, dismay and disappointment.

“We believe these investigations are wholly disproportionate and are causing irreparable damage to the professional integrity of nurses and carers who are exhausted beyond measure in fighting the virus.”

Charnwood Lodge in Dumfries was one of the homes in the region to be hit by Covid-19 outbreaks.

Ten residents there lost their lives last year.

The home first reported cases on October 9 and was put into lockdown with visiting and admissions being suspended.