THE “devastating effect” of coronavirus on Scotland’s older population has been laid bare by statistics revealing that one in four deaths has occurred in a care home.

National Records of Scotland reported that 237 of the 962 deaths from Covid-19 up to Easter Sunday had taken place in a care home.

The Scottish Government said virus testing will now be expanded to all care home residents showing symptoms.

Previously it was restricted to staff or members of their household, to enable them to return to work, with only the first resident to display symptoms being tested "to establish the presence of the virus”.

READ MORE: Why is England's Covid death rate twice as high as Scotland's?

It came as UK Government Health Secretary Matt Hancock said “wherever possible” people will be given the “chance to say goodbye” to loved ones dying with coronavirus, after reports of the elderly dying alone in care homes and some hospitals banning all visitors.

Mr Hancock said the Government was working to introduce “new procedures so we can limit the risk of infection while wherever possible giving people’s closest loved ones the chance to say goodbye”.

The NRS data, which is based on all death certificates where the disease is mentioned, also estimates that the true death toll is running 70 per cent higher than shown by official statistics, which only account for cases where there was a positive test.

There is also alarm over a huge spike in deaths, from all causes, in the seven days to April 12.

NRS registered 1,969 deaths - 869 more than the five-year average for the same week - but 30% of these “extra” deaths were not linked to Covid.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said this was a “very serious issue for us to look into and explore further”.

There are also questions about discrepancies between Scotland and England, where just one in 20 deaths from Covid-19 was recorded in a care home.

The care home figures came amid reports of three more fatal outbreaks in residential facilities and fresh warnings that staff are struggling to access protective gear.

A total of 16 people have died at Berelands Care Home in Prestwick since April 4, including four who had tested positive and 12 who were showing symptoms.

In Paisley, 11 residents at Elderslie Nursing Home have died in the last two weeks with symptoms of Covid and 13 are currently being “barrier nursed” after developing coughs or fevers.

Five residents at Wyndwell Nursing Home in Peterhead have also died, with seven others showing symptoms.

Donald Macaskill, chief executive of Scottish Care, said the findings were “immensely sad and distressing”.

The Scottish Government also confirmed that 433 care homes, from a total of around 1,100, had reported cases of coronavirus to date.

Age Scotland chief executive Brian Sloan said care home residents must have “fair and equal access to medical treatment”.

It follows anecdotal reports of GPs telling facilities to adopt ‘do not resuscitate’ protocols and some hospitals refusing to admit care home residents over 75.

Mr Sloan said: “It is devastating to learn that 237 care home residents in Scotland have died as a result of coronavirus.

"The fear we have had over the past few weeks about the impact this is having on some of the people most at risk has now sadly become a reality.

“No age group is immune but these grim figures highlight once again the devastating effect that this virus has on the lives of older people.”

Theresa Fyffe, director of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland, said the figure underlined the impact of Covid “on our most vulnerable”.

READ MORE: How and when should Scotland exit lockdown?

She added: “Nursing staff in Scotland’s care homes and community teams are still struggling to obtain adequate supplies of PPE and staffing levels are being stretched.

“I want to assure nursing staff working in care homes that they are not the forgotten frontline.”

The NRS figures come after the Office for National Statistics issued the latest coronavirus data for England and Wales based on death certificates

The ONS report, which covered the period up to April 3, found that 5% of coronavirus deaths - 217 - had occurred in care homes.

Even with a time lag of around a week it seems highly unlikely that there could have been more care home deaths from Covid in Scotland, with a fraction of the population of England and Wales.

The 5% figure also contradicts a report this week by the London School of Economics, which found that care home residents have accounted for between 42% and 57% of all deaths related to Covid in Italy, Spain, France, Ireland and Belgium.

The NRS report is the first time that a detailed breakdown of location of death has been provided in relation to coronavirus in Scotland.

It follows an outcry over a string of fatal outbreaks and claims by some social care staff that they were running out of protective gloves and masks, being refused virus tests, or owners were seeking “hush up” deaths.

Some operators accused ministers of prioritising the NHS and making care workers feel like “cannon fodder”.

Speaking shortly after publication, Ms Sturgeon said: “We know that older people are more at risk of becoming seriously unwell or dying from this virus, although I should stress that people of all ages are at risk.

"We also know that care homes are places that can be more susceptible to infection outbreaks.

“The residents of care homes matter every bit as much to us as people in the community or in hospital.

“It is just as important in care homes as it is anywhere else, in fact I would say it’s more important given their vulnerability and susceptibility to infections spreading, that we do all we can to prevent infection and also to control it.”

However, the NRS figures show a worsening situation for the sector, with the ratio of care home to hospital deaths narrowing.

As recently as the week beginning March 23 - when lockdown was announced - there were five care home deaths to 43 in hospital, a ratio of one to nine.

By last week that had shrunk to a ratio of one to two, with 184 care home deaths from Covid against 352 in hospital.

There are also signs that care homes are are experiencing a surge in deaths from other causes.

The data shows that between March 16 and Easter Sunday, there was a 116% increase in the total number of deaths recorded per week in care homes, from 273 to 591.

Of the 318 extra deaths registered last week, 134 (42%) did not mention Covid-19 on the death certificate.

The NRS report also suggests that Scotland’s true death toll from Covid may have already exceeded 1000.

Based on death certificates, NRS put the number of Covid deaths by April 12 at 962, compared to the 566 logged by HPS, which is limited to counting cases where a person had tested positive for the virus.

The NRS figures are considered to be a more accurate estimate. If that 70% gulf has continued, therefore, the current official death toll of 699 might be closer to 1,188.

Meanwhile, Ms Sturgeon confirmed a decline in the number of people currently being treated for Covid in hospital - down 53 to 1,748. This includes 195 intensive care patients, down one.

She added: “These hospital figures do give us cause for some very cautious optimism at this stage, but it’s still too early for us to be definitive about that.”

 

 

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