Scottish COVID-19 inquiry|Closing Statements|Health and Social Care Impact Hearings|28 June 2024 (morning session)

Central Scotland Care homes on the denial of NHS services for care home residents and deeply concerning DNACPR decisions.

Introduction

Alastair Gray, solicitor advocate speaks on behalf of Central Scotland Care Homes.

Below is a short highlights video of some of the key moments with the full video at the end of the article.

'Staff would phone ambulances who would REFUSE to convey residents.’

‘Those who were taken to hospital found that consultants refused to admit them because they had come from a care home.’

DNACPR notices

‘Concerns were raised that conversations between GPs, residents and resident's families were not happening.’

Inusurance

Within the full video below as solicitor Gray mentions:

‘It must be understood that the care sector is highly regulated, is subject to a high instance of litigation and, further, during the pandemic, operators did not have immunity.This had significant practical impacts e.g. we note evidence that some insurers greatly inflated premiums for operators and others simply refused to provide cover.’

The statement details out the consequences of hospitals refusing care home residents which was NOT mentioned in the oral testimony.

‘This resulted in care home staff having to care for acutely unwell residents in circumstances where they would otherwise have been treated.’

Another important point in the statement but omitted from the oral testimony is in relation to DNACPR notices.

‘Staff felt that there was a blanket approach to DNACPR because the message from the NHS was that residents "need to have them because they won't be able to go to hospital because they didn't want to take them.’’

Operation Koper

An interesting theme i note running throughout the care home managers testimonies since the start of 2024 is to have the Operation Koper investigations terminated..due to the adverse effects this is having on staff.

‘‘Operation Koper had a devastating impact upon the morale and mental health of care home staff. ‘‘ (paragraph 28 of statement)

‘‘Dr Macaskill says he still cannot see any justification for the decision by the Lord Advocate to require care home deaths during the pandemic to be investigated by the prosecution service.’’

End

Full video:

Links:

Full statement CSCH- https://www.covid19inquiry.scot/sites/default/files/ev-documents/sci-clsstn-000012.pdf

https://healthandcare.scot/stories/3318/koper-crown:office-covid-investigations-care-homes-hospitals