Scotland’s largest local authority will now only provide ‘life and limb’ social care in people’s homes as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

The move by Glasgow Health & Social Care Partnership (HSCP) comes amid mounting fears about what will happen to vulnerable people during the virus.

Colin Millar, chief executive of Scottish Personal Assistant Employers’ Network (SPAEN), which is setting up an emergency register for social care help, said this could include services such as meal preparation and support to get washed and dressed.

It is thought nearly one in three workers in the NHS and other critical services could be off work during the outbreak.

Glasgow HSCP says it is concentrating on people who need help most and getting people out of hospital ahead of an anticipated covid-19 surge.

Mr Millar told healthandcare.scot: “I got a phone call from a family in Glasgow and their 92-year-old father currently gets a breakfast service through the HSCP. He had a phone call saying your dad’s service is stopping, it is life and limb only.

“So, he was like ‘what do we do? – I am in my 70s, my wife is in her 70s, she has asthma, we need to self-isolate, there is no family or friends that can go into see dad.

“It looks as if not only the private employment sector is being severely struck, but it is going to take out a lot in terms of agencies and local authority care services as well.

“We are trying to put together this register so people can match and fill the gaps.”

Care workers have been included on a government list of essential workers whose children can go into school but the status of personal assistants who are directly employed by disabled people is unclear. 

A spokeswoman for Glasgow HSCP said: “We have taken the difficult decision to move to critical care cover in homecare for all areas of the city. This means we have to concentrate resources on priority services and caring for our most vulnerable service users.

“We are also focusing on supporting patients being discharged from hospital. Families and carers are being contacted directly to ensure services users are supported.”

Anyone wishing to register with SPAEN should call 01698 250280 or e-mail info@spaen.co.uk

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