Scottish COVID-19 inquiry|Impact hearing |Health and social care|17 November 2023 (afternoon session)

Highlights include a powerful testimony from Marion McParland a retired NHS nurse of 41 years.

Introduction

Today’s session begins with Ms Marion McParland. An NHS nurse of for 41 years who retired on 31st March 2017. Her career began in 1976. Marion worked at a number of senior posts in NHS Lanarkshire including being : Research nurse, Public Health Nurse lead for multi-agency inspection of children's service and Acting Senior Nurse for public health. In 2011 Marion was the Implementation Manager for the National Carers Strategy for Scotland.

Family

Marions mother sadly passed away on 28 October 2020 aged 89, in Hatton Lea Care Home, Bellshill. Her cause of death was noted as Covid and Dementia. However the chain of events in lockdown leading upto her death were extremely distressing.

Lockdown

In this video, Marion outlines the complete lack of common sense she witnessed in lockdown and how blanket medical mandates for all were NOT something she was familiar with which deprived people of empathy and understanding. Individuality was dimssed and should have been of far more importance.

‘’Everything was around this pandemic…there was chaos..everyone seemed to be frightened or looking beyond the individual in front of you…nobody seemd to recognise these were individuals with needs.’’

‘‘Common sense went out the window.’’

Decline in health due to isolation

Here Marion recalls the decline of her mothers health during lockdown (a few weeks before she died) and noticed how her mother was very dehydrated and had lost weight.

Marion believes her mothers health status, albeit poor initially, was accelerated by the restrictions. She goes on to state how having power of attorney was essentially meaningless.

‘‘She wasn’t getting the stimulation, the visits she would normally have got.’’

‘‘Power of attorney was completely disregarded…it didn’t mean anything.’’

‘‘It was awful i couldn't be with my dying mum because of the restrictions. I wanted to break in through her patio door, but I didn't.’’ -paragraph 65 of statement

No human rights

Here Marion explains the removal of her mothers human rights to which Stuart Gayle KC mentions ‘‘this is something we’ve heard from a number of witnesses.’’ She also mentions her mum became so frail a DNR was put in place.

No rights- To be with family- To make her own decisions- To fresh air- To sunshine- To go out to the shops -Daily living-

‘‘Everything seemed to be so institutionlised..so restricted…she had no choice in anything…she would be a bit like a robot.’’

‘‘Mum was unjustly stripped of every human right. Blanket decisions were made, and a person centered approach was never considered.’’ -paragraph 79 of statement

‘‘A dictatorship appeared to be in place’’.

-Paragraph 80 of statement

Here Marion states how her mum was effectively a prisoner. Stuart Gayle KC says-

‘This is something we’ve heard from many witnesses now.’

‘‘it certainly felt like it to us.’’

Nurses confirm death

After Marions mum died she felt everything was rushed and undignified. She mentions the odd procedure of nurses certifying the cause of death and that no GP was involved.

‘‘As far as i am aware nurses don’t confirm death.’’

‘‘I was so traumatised as mum dying so quickly my first reaction as a nurse was to resuscitate my mum.’’

Pleas to the First Minister

Birthday celebrations forbidden

Here Stuart Gayle KC mentions how for Marions mothers birthday they were instructed to sit 3 feet away wearing masks and all contact was forbidden.

‘‘You were told not to touch or kiss her at all.’’

Additional comments from statement

‘‘Although mum died peacefully, her previous night was awful and should never have happened the way it did. I will never forget this. Mum's faith was important to her and she could not even receive the last rites as the clergy were not allowed to come into the home.’’ - Paragraph 70

‘‘I couldn't touch mums closed coffin. It was not allowed because of restrictions. How will I ever be sure this was my mum in the coffin, I just have to believe it was.’’ -Paragraph 72

‘‘Ms McParland has a video that she filmed of herself begging Nicola Sturgeon to let relatives in to care homes, after her Mum had passed away. She would bewilling to share this with the Inquiry team but would not wish this to be made public.’’

-paragraph 111

Update:

Marion’s compilation clip of her testimony as below achieved over 3 MILLION views on X!!

https://x.com/dksdata/status/1787202976123101219

End

Links:

Full statement Marion McParland- https://www.covid19inquiry.scot/sites/default/files/ev-documents/sci-wt0486-000001.pdf

Full hearing Scottish COVID-19 inquiry You Tube- Impact hearing | Health and social care | 17 November 2023 (afternoon session)