Nicola Sturgeon could relax social bubbles rules for families of disabled children after desperate pleas from a Scots mum.
Paisley mum Danielle Haynes this week urged the First Minister to relax extended household rules for families with disabled children to help combat loneliness.
Danielle, 28, husband Nathanial, 28, and say they and six-year-old son Emmett are suffering from extreme isolation due to strict Covid rules which prevent them from seeing family and friends.
Emmett has autism and ADHD and Danielle says he is struggling to understand why his grandparents, who he used to see at home every day, are now banned from entering his house.
In England families with disabled children under five can bubble with another household, regardless of how many adults there are in each home.
Danielle is pleading with Nicola Sturgeon to go one step further and allow families with disabled or children with additional needs who are under 12 to bubble with another household, regardless of the number of adults.
Danielle said: "We have been sticking to the rules so rigidly throughout this whole thing but for a child with the issues that Emmett has, it is almost impossible for him to understand and be comfortable with the restrictions.
"Previously we would rely on my mum and dad for a lot of support with Emmet and they would be in our home and we would be in theirs all the time. Emmett misses that and he can't understand why they can't come in.
"Outside of school he has no interaction with anyone else at all and that is difficult.
"For me I don't go anywhere or see anyone except Emmett and Nathanial. It's extremely lonely and isolating.
"I know there is no easy answer here but I just feel that if families with children who have disabilities or additional needs were allowed to bubble with another, regardless of how many adults there are, people like Emmett and my self would not be so lonely.
"We need that support system. It's so important."
At Wednesday's First Minister's briefing Nicola Sturgeon addressed Danielle's concerns directly and promised to speak to her advisers and come back with an answer.
She said: "I can't give a definitive answer right now because I've not had the opportunity yet to discuss that with my clinical advisors, but I will certainly do that.
"Nobody wants the parents of children with disabilities to feel anymore isolated than this pandemic unfortunately makes inevitable to some degree for everybody.
"That's why we formed the extended household concept which is if somebody is living alone or alone with children under the age of 18 they can bubble up and form an extended household with another.
"But of course that doesn't apply where there are multiple adults living in the home so I will look at that carefully, I will take advice from people like Jason and the chief medical officer and if we feel that it is safe to make a change there we will do that."
However the First Minster warned of exposing vulnerable children to the virus if restrictions were relaxed to combat isolation.
She added: "I suppose the one caveat I would put on is that, not every child with a disability, but some children with particular disabilities may be particularly vulnerable so we have to be particularly careful. So we will consider that and come to a conclusion as quickly as possible."
Danielle said she was hopeful the Scottish Government would consider her plight.
She added: "Whatever they decide I will go with those rules, but I am just grateful they are taking it in to consideration."
Equalities Minister Christina McKelvie said: “Not being able to spend time with our friends and loved ones is painful and difficult and we recognise that this can be even more difficult for people with disabilities and their families.
“It is an issue we take incredibly seriously and, while there are exemptions in the existing restrictions to provide care or support to a vulnerable person - including those who are isolated because of disability or a caring situation – we will look at what more can be done to help everyone through what is undoubtedly a difficult time.
“We will be announcing new support to help people feel less lonely and isolated during the winter months before the end of the week.”
