Guidance on relatives visiting loved ones in care homes in Scotland is lagging behind advice rolled out south of the border.

Current Scottish guidance allows for up to two designated visitors weekly, one at a time, while English advice published last week permits as many as five who can visit in groups of two.

Residents with high care needs in England can also have a designated caregiver who can come in regularly and help with “essential” care needs.

Earlier this week Scottish Care’s Dr Donald Macaskill said current guidance was “not moving at a pace that it needs to move”.

Care Home Relatives Scotland founder Cathie Russell told healthandcare.scot Scottish government guidance did not give “strong enough encouragement” to care homes.

Research by the group found that 28% of those surveyed in the second week of May were yet to see “meaningful” indoor visits after the introduction of new guidance in February.

Though government guidance does not define time limits, nearly 50% said they were limited to half-hour slots.

And despite outside trips without limits on meeting friends and family being allowed since February, just 17% of the 250 relatives had been able to do this.

Cathie Russell said: “We’re really looking for the care homes to up their game on allowing people to go out.

“People are still not getting to see relatives. If you can take your relative out, then you could arrange to meet grandchildren at a playpark… you could take them to a garden visit, or whatever, then you could meet other friends and family.

“But there’s so many places not allowing that. Most adults in care are elderly people who are approaching end of life. An awful lot of them are simply not fit to go out.

“…In our group we’ve got sons and daughters who don’t get to see their mothers and fathers, and they haven’t got to see them for 15 months because there are already are two designated visitors.”

A letter from the Scottish government earlier this week said that outside trips, including overnight stays with family, are “important to life’s meaning and purpose”.

But it added: “Care home residents continue to be a vulnerable population and communal living arrangements present additional risks.”

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