MY CARE HOMES DEATHS REGRET

Jeane Freeman on how she will never forget fatal toll of virus on the elderly

FORMER health secretary Jeane Freeman has told how she will "regret" Covid care home deaths for the rest of her life.

Freeman, who led the response at the start of the pandemic in 2020, also told the UK Covid Inquiry that the Scottish Government's initial response on care homes had not been "adequate".

Half of deaths in the first wave occurred in care homes, with many in the sector claiming they were not given proper support.

During her time in the cabinet Freeman was criticised for a policy of discharging elderly hospital patients to care homes without testing them for the virus.

According to evidence heard already earlier in the inquiry, 82 percent of the 3595 patients discharged between March 1 and April 21, 2020, were not tested.

Poor PPE was also flagged up by care homes and staff.

Freeman said: "I was personally very concerned about our care sector, both our residential care sector and the care at home sector for adults, and regret very much and will do for the rest of my life, any deaths that occurred there because of action the Scottish Government didn't take or did take but could have done better."