Nicola Sturgeon has said she is “extremely concerned” about reports that supplies of PPE could be being diverted away from Scotland to England.

The First Minister revealed Scotland’s health secretary is raising the issue with her UK counterpart, although a planned e-meeting between the two was cancelled at short notice by the Secretary of State.

It comes after Donald Macaskill of social care representative body Scottish Care said some manufacturers based south of the border were only delivering to care providers in England.

Although NHS Scotland clinical director Jason Leitch described this claim as “rubbish” Nicola Sturgeon said today that the Scottish Government was investigating the issue.

She said this was not happening with the NHS-run PPE national distribution network but suggested it could be happening with other procurement routes.

“I also want to be clear that if care homes’ usual supplies are affected in this way, then as well as that being completely unacceptable in itself, it will of course increase pressure on our national stockpile and that would be a source of real worry for us,” the First Minister said.

“It’s not an exaggeration to say we are extremely concerned about these reports and we are taking steps to investigate further and to seek to resolve the if they are real issues as a matter of urgency.”

Ms Sturgeon said this was not an issue about politics but one of “fairness and cooperation”.

“All parts of the UK right now are facing supply challenges just now on PPE – indeed this is a global issue –  so any situation where supplies were being div from one part of the UK to another, without consultation or any sense of cooperation, would clearly be unconscionable and unacceptable.”

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