The Health Secretary has warned councils against scaling back social care support as the government escalates its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Following warnings that Scotland is on the cusp of a major and rapid acceleration in coronavirus cases, concerns have been raised over drawbacks in social care provision and over shortages of protective equipment for paid and unpaid carers.

Today however, Scotland’s Health Secretary Jeane Freeman underlined that “it is not just the NHS that is integral to responding to the virus, so too is social care.”

She said: “Those requiring vital social care support should not have that removed to fight the covid-19 virus.

“With the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, Integration Authorities and providers, we are working to prioritise social care to the most vulnerable people.

“Social care workers are key workers who will have access to childcare if necessary to carry out their critical roles.”

Councils have been told that any additional social care costs incurred amid the pandemic will be met by the Scottish government.

Targeted advice for nursing and residential care home settings had also been put together, Ms Freeman said.  

Social care staff were included alongside NHS staff in the Health Secretary’s announcement today that guidance is to be published soon to support the use of testing capacity in Scotland’s laboratories to enable more frontline staff to be tested and to return to work when it is safe for them to do so.

Further announcements on how testing capacity is being increased across the UK are expected in the coming days.

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