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Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry publishes first Narrative Record detailing impact on health and social care
Health and social care workers across Scotland have had their pandemic experiences formally recorded by the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry, with the publication of its first Narrative Record covering the health and social care sector.
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The record summarises evidence heard from 156 witnesses over more than 16 weeks of public hearings between October 2023 and May 2024. It documents the challenges reported both by witnesses working in health and social care sector and by those receiving care in Scotland between January 2020 and December 2022.
We gave evidence to the Inquiry in spring 2024, highlighting a number of lessons that must be learned, in particular the need to the right workforce to be in place
We emphasised the need for better pandemic planning, in particular, to ensure that PPE appropriate to the virus and its method of transmission is available and provided. In addition, future guidance needs to take into account emerging clinical data on infection transmission and control. And we made clear that we believe that research is urgently needed into the impact of Long COVID-19 on the nursing and healthcare workforce.
On PPE, we highlighted multiple issues to the Inquiry. These included the inadequacy of PPE procurement and provision, with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach causing significant challenges; lack of training in fitting masks effectively; and frequent changes in guidance on PPE which led to confusion about how to apply it.
We told the Inquiry that inadequate reporting systems resulted in a significant lack of information regarding workplace infection. More stringent reporting mechanisms would, in our view, have resulted in improved infection control and decreased the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces.
Our evidence included how nursing students had their education disrupted by the pandemic and the long term impact this has had.
On the publication of the report, Colin Poolman, Executive Director, RCN Scotland, said:
“We continue to offer our condolences to everyone who lost loved ones during the pandemic, and we will never forget the sacrifice of the front-line workers who felt and continue to feel its impact.
“The Inquiry has highlighted many lessons that must be acted on with urgency, the biggest of which is the need to ensure that there is a sustainable health and social care workforce in place. Scotland’s health and care services continue to be under extreme pressure six years on and could certainly not deal with another pandemic any time soon. Now is the time to value, invest in and listen to nursing, to ease pressure across our services and build a stronger workforce for the future.”
We gave evidence to the Inquiry in spring 2024, highlighting a number of lessons that must be learned, in particular the need to the right workforce to be in place
We emphasised the need for better pandemic planning, in particular, to ensure that PPE appropriate to the virus and its method of transmission is available and provided. In addition, future guidance needs to take into account emerging clinical data on infection transmission and control. And we made clear that we believe that research is urgently needed into the impact of Long COVID-19 on the nursing and healthcare workforce.
On PPE, we highlighted multiple issues to the Inquiry. These included the inadequacy of PPE procurement and provision, with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach causing significant challenges; lack of training in fitting masks effectively; and frequent changes in guidance on PPE which led to confusion about how to apply it.
We told the Inquiry that inadequate reporting systems resulted in a significant lack of information regarding workplace infection. More stringent reporting mechanisms would, in our view, have resulted in improved infection control and decreased the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces.
Our evidence included how nursing students had their education disrupted by the pandemic and the long term impact this has had.
On the publication of the report, Colin Poolman, Executive Director, RCN Scotland, said:
“We continue to offer our condolences to everyone who lost loved ones during the pandemic, and we will never forget the sacrifice of the front-line workers who felt and continue to feel its impact.
“The Inquiry has highlighted many lessons that must be acted on with urgency, the biggest of which is the need to ensure that there is a sustainable health and social care workforce in place. Scotland’s health and care services continue to be under extreme pressure six years on and could certainly not deal with another pandemic any time soon. Now is the time to value, invest in and listen to nursing, to ease pressure across our services and build a stronger workforce for the future.”
