Care home representatives have described a stream of government covid-19 guidance and updates as “confusing” and at times even “contradictory”.

In one example, a single set of guidelines from Health Protection Scotland (HPS) has been revised seven times, according to umbrella body Scottish Care.

Brian Murray, manager of Abbey Court care home in Glasgow, said the rules seemed “to be changing constantly”.

“There's so many different protocols out just now it's totally confusing and conflicting.”

Nearly six in ten covid-19 deaths have happened in care homes, resulting in various documents being issued to advise on how to prevent the spread of the virus.

Abbey Court has had no suspected cases to date but if it did, and he needed to get residents tested, Mr Murray said: “I don't know what we'd do.”

Alongside HPS, there is guidance from the Scottish Government, regularly revised PPE advice, specific guidelines for care homes, which are currently on their 3^rd version, as well as documents relating to end-of-life-care, hospital discharge and from local NHS bodies.

Scottish Care described the situation as “confusing and cluttered”.

The Scottish Government added to this last week when it withdrew advice a few days after it was issued, claiming it was published in error. 

Controversially the document said older people could be discharged to a care home from a hospital before test results to show whether they had the virus were available.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has previously said it is the responsibility of care home operators – mostly private companies or charities – to follow guidance.

Earlier this month MSPs voiced concerns about a lack of PPE and issues with management at Home Farm nursing home in Portree, which the Care Inspectorate subsequently took action against.

Ms Freeman said: “Many of the issues that members are raising are issues where private care home providers, where the majority of the outbreaks are, private care home providers have not, in some instances, appeared to follow the guidance that we require them to follow.”

In a letter to Holyrood’s health committee on the 8^th May, Dr Donald Macaskill, Scottish Care’s chief executive, wrote: “We are on version 7 of Health Protection Scotland guidance to care homes alongside frequent new editions of guidance from other bodies, some of which is at best confusing and at worst contradictory.”

In a statement Scottish Care said: “We recognise that as knowledge and understanding develops, guidance has to reflect this but guidance varies considerably in terms of when it is updated, where it can be accessed and what each bit of guidance says– a very cluttered and confusing landscape. 

“Scottish Care and other organisations continue to work with the sector to ensure that they are aware of and working from most up to date guidance, but in terms of wider understanding of what practice should be it is inevitable that this will not always be in step given the pace of change.

“This can cause anxiety, fear and uncertainty for workers, families and the wider public.”

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