As the Cabinet Secretary faced questions from the Health and Sport Committee on the impact of the pandemic on Scotland’s care homes, the Royal College of Nursing is calling for lessons to be learned and longstanding issues to be addressed.
Theresa Fyffe, Director, RCN Scotland said: “This pandemic has brought into sharp focus major problems that pre-date the beginning of this crisis. Problems that must not simply be allowed to fade into the background as the route to recovery is plotted.
“Care homes have in many ways borne the brunt of this crisis, despite the commitment of staff, communities, residents and families to try to keep everyone as safe as possible. The need for registered nurses within care homes has never been more stark. Registered nurses have the clinical skills and knowledge to respond to residents’ changing needs; to manage medication, monitor deterioration and oversee infection control. Their leadership and oversight supports the wider team of carers and care assistants. Yet nurse staffing within care homes was at crisis point before COVID-19.
“It would be a failure of huge proportions if we do not learn the difficult lessons of the pandemic and tackle head on many issues facing Scotland’s care homes which have, for years, been placed in the ‘too hard to do’ box.”
