The Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee has launched a survey looking into the particular issues faced by care homes during the coronavirus pandemic.
The digital survey is aiming to finding out the preparedness of care homes to respond to this pandemic, and how they have been supported and equipped to deal with its effects. The Committee is seeking views from care home residents, their families and care homes staff.
Over the coming weeks, the Committee will be undertaking a series of short inquiries into the Scottish Government’s response to the pandemic.
As well as looking at the issues faced by care homes, the Committee will be looking at the Government’s testing policy, issues around personal protective equipment (PPE), and the emergency planning and preparation that was in place with a view to supporting the health and social care sector’s ability to manage any potential ‘second wave’ of the virus, or future pandemic.
Lewis Macdonald MSP, Health and Sport Committee Convener, said: “As the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has continued to rise, it has become clear that care homes in particular have suffered many tragic losses.
“The most recent data from the National Records of Scotland shows more than half of Scotland’s coronavirus deaths are now happening in care homes.
“This is shocking and has a devastating impact on residents, staff and their families.
“Our Committee is determined to find out the issues that care homes are facing, how they have been supported by the Government and what can be done now to help them deal with this unprecedented challenge.”
The survey is available here: www.parliament.scot/care-homes-covid
It closes on 20th May.
25
0
20
