Patients moved to care homes after positive Covid tests

Thirty-seven patients were transferred from hospitals to care homes despite testing positive for coronavirus, it has been reported.

At least five health boards moved patients with Covid-19 into care homes around the time lockdown was imposed in March, a Sunday Post investigation found.

The Scottish Government has confirmed 1431 untested patients were moved to care homes between March 1 and April 21, before testing of discharged patients became mandatory.

But the newspaper claims at least 300 patients were tested in that same period prior to discharge to care homes, with at least 37 testing positive.

The positive cases uncovered were in:

Ayrshire and Arran – 17

Grampian – 7

Tayside – 6

Fife – 4

Lanarkshire – 3

As of Wednesday, there had been 1950 deaths in Scottish care homes where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

Monica Lennon MSP, Scottish Labour health and social care spokeswoman, said: “Confirmation that Covid-19 positive patients were knowingly discharged to care homes is almost beyond belief.

“Why was it deemed acceptable to place infectious people into care homes that didn’t have enough PPE and staff, putting vulnerable older people and those who care for them at risk?”

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Donald Cameron said: “The families of victims have been grotesquely failed.

“For months, people have been desperately trying to find out what happened to their loved ones.”

Asked about the claims, a Scottish Government spokesman said: “Discharge decisions for individual patients are made by clinicians based on the patient’s needs.

“If somebody is discharged to a care home it is because that has been assessed as the best place to meet their needs.”

He added: “There has never been guidance or policy to actively move patients unwell with Covid-19 into care homes.”