The final new petition for consideration today is PE1841. It has been lodged by Natasha Hamilton on behalf of Care Home Relatives Scotland. The petition calls on the Scottish Government to allow designated visitors into care homes to support loved ones.
The Scottish Government’s submission explains that given the significantly higher risks that Covid-19 poses for care home residents, it has been necessary to pursue a different relaxation of the restrictions to the relaxation of the restrictions for the general population. It stresses, however, that it must strike a balance between the risk that is posed by Covid-19 and the impact that family visits have on the wellbeing of residents.
The Government explains that guidance has regularly been updated to reflect new evidence, and with a view to opening up more opportunities for families and friends to visit, including, on 3 December, guidance that was specifically aimed at helping care homes to support visiting over the Christmas and new year period.
The Government also highlights that it is introducing lateral flow testing in care homes, which will be offered to designated visitors on the day of their visit. The tests were introduced in 14 early-adopter care homes in five local authority areas last week. Key learning from that will inform wider roll-out. Delivery of lateral flow testing kits to all care homes will start this week. Where cares homes are unable to make use of those kits, PCR—polymerase chain reaction—testing of visitors will be available when necessary, in order to facilitate visiting over Christmas and new year.
The Government further highlights that care homes will now be closed to new admissions and visitors for 14 days rather than 28 days following an outbreak, which will avoid there being long periods when care homes are closed to visitors.
Since the meeting papers were published, we have received a written submission from the petitioner. In it, she states that there is currently a postcode lottery regarding visiting arrangements in care homes, and explains that the goal of the petition is legislation to guarantee that care home residents will never be isolated from family or friends for such a long period again.
I note that Monica Lennon MSP had hoped to be able to be here for consideration of the petition, but is unable to join us because of a clash of diary commitments.
I am interested to know what members think that we can do about this. It is a very big issue, and one that is shifting over time. The consequences for families and their loved ones are massive, but we recognise the risk. I wonder whether, even when the Government has provided guidance, things move on. Individual care homes have been risk-averse, perhaps because they do not have access to testing or proper PPE.
There is a question about what we can do, but it feels to me that this is an important issue, so just to close the petition without further action would perhaps minimise the seriousness of the issue more generally. It might be that the Government has more to say to us, particularly about the petitioner’s suggestion about legislation that would guarantee that in the future residents would not be isolated from family and friends, even in extreme circumstances. I find that interesting. The petitioner is almost asking how we can learn not just what we could do in the short term, but in the long term, should there be another such crisis.
