Care workers supporting people in their own homes were left out of the drive to regularly test health and care staff, a new survey reveals.

Just one in two of the home care workers responding to a survey by UNISON Scotland said they have been tested for coronavirus.

Care home staff get weekly tests for the virus in a bid to protect vulnerable residents, where nearly half of Scotland’s 4,200 covid-19 deaths have taken place.

UNISON Scotland regional organiser Peter Hunter warned virus rates were still concerningly high and said "the time to act on this is now”.

Figures released today reveal the toll lockdown is taking on older people with dementia, with deaths from the condition rising by 25% between April and June this year A total of 300 people working in care at home responded to UNISON’s survey, which has been sent to Holyrood’s health and sport committee for its inquiry into social care.

Workers in the private sector represented 40% of respondents, a similar proportion were employed by local councils and charity staff made up the remainder.

Testing was highest in the private sector, where 66% of workers had been tested and lowest in the public sector, where the figure was 38%.

UNISON says the shortfall is “in marked contrast to the frequency and prevalence” of testing in hospitals and care homes and reflects “the lack of status and priority” given to care at home.

The survey also exposed the mental health toll on workers, with one in five reporting that someone they supported had died from covid-19.

“I found it very hard coping during the outbreak,” one care worker said.

“Within my work I had people crying with fear in their eyes asking not to die.”

Others said they had received “no support” or that “we were threatened with our jobs when we voiced concerns”.

UNISON says: ‘There has been considerable debate over the priority given to protection of the NHS and the unintended impact on residential care.

‘However, there has been little public discussion of the strategies to protect service users and staff in care at home services.

‘This is a collective oversight that reflects the unacceptably low status of a vitally important service.

‘In short, the infection rates and deaths in care at home services may have been hard to avoid but they could have been better mitigated and remain unacceptable.’

Scotland’s care watchdog the Care Inspectorate is set to publish research that will give a ‘national picture’ of the extent of care at home reductions at the start of the pandemic.

Peter Hunter said: “UNISON are the largest trade union representing social care staff and we welcome the Scottish Parliament health committee’s inquiry into social care. Social care staff across the UK are calling for change.

“The number of infections and deaths amongst service users and the infection rate amongst staff remains concerningly high. Residential care requires attention and as does acute settings.

“However, we need closer scrutiny of care at home. We need to review availability of testing, we need to know the prevalence of the virus in care at home services.

“We need to quickly identify the people who are symptomatic to ensure we prevent further infections in the service. The time to act on this is now.”

 

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