The Scottish government has been asked to consider suspending the requirement for care staff to self-isolate if they are in contact with someone who has tested positive with covid-19.

The request came from Scottish Care, which said care providers were “increasingly stretched” and staff who were not showing symptoms should be allowed to keep working and be tested on a daily basis 'in clearly defined emergency circumstances'.

During today’s covid-19 briefing Nicola Sturgeon said an update could be provided to Parliament on Tuesday next week.

Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith said all the UK CMOs had been looking at the evidence for the ‘right and safe thing to do’.

It comes after the British Medical Association – which represents Scotland’s doctors – warned the current isolation requirements risked staff shortages that could destabilise general practice and hospital departments.

A member of a Scottish government care home advisory group has also warned against continuing with the current self-isolation policy.

Derek Barron, Director of Care at Erskine – a care provider that supports veterans across the country – and a member of the government advisory group on care homes, told healthandcare.scot:

“The same issues our NHS colleagues face are mirrored in social care where we provide care for the most vulnerable in our society. 

“Expecting staff to routinely isolate because of possible contact when our staff are, in the main, double vaccinated and are tested weekly by both PCR and Lateral Flow Device testing, does not feel proportionate and impacts on staffing levels, where staff wear masks 100% of the time and other PPE as required, they also maintain a two-metre distance on their breaks.” 

He added: “Staffing levels are of course critical to us delivering the high-quality care our residents deserve. 

“There are some circumstances where this approach is required, however we are coming across others where it isn’t proportionate to the risk.”

Scottish government statistics published last week showed a 109% rise in overall absences across health services over the past eight weeks. Medical and dental staff absences in particular experienced a 266% increase in staff absences.

Asked if similar problems were impacting social care, a spokesperson for Scottish Care told healthandcare.scot: “Social care providers both in the community and in care homes have become increasingly stretched in the last two weeks as result of staff having to isolate either because of contracting covid, because of a requirement to self-isolate as a result of notification and because people are taking annual leave.

“Scottish Care has formally requested that Scottish government give serious consideration in clearly defined circumstances of emergency to not making it a requirement for social care staff to isolate for a ten-day period.

“Instead, amongst other protective mitigations, we want those who are not showing symptoms to be tested daily and still able to work.

The spokesperson added: “At the heart of this issue is the need for us all to continue to provide essential care and support to citizens both in care homes and in their own home. We must not forget that they remain our priority and we must use all the tools we have at our disposal to continue their care.

“The threat to the sustainability of essential services is becoming acute and severe in parts of Scotland and we must act with urgency at this time.

Elsewhere, Iain Gorman, the Head of Operations at East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, said the isolation rules were a “real challenge that isn't limited to NHS workers.” 

“The high positivity rate and the requirement to self-isolate is affecting frontline social care services who are already stretched.”

Last month the Scottish government said it had no plans to make vaccinations mandatory for care staff, in contrast to the UK government which announced covid jabs would be made compulsory.

Care staff vaccination rates in Scotland have been higher than predicted, with Scottish Care stating in June that ‘virtually all staff’ had received their jabs.  

 

Read more: Calls for NHS staff self-isolation rethink; Anger over ‘ill-considered’ new mask rule; Nurses escalate battle over pay and conditions

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