Charity calls for assurances after figures show 237 care home residents have died from Covid-19.

Older people must be given fair and equal access to medical treatment during the coronavirus pandemic, a charity has said.

Age Scotland made the comments after official figures showed 237 care home residents in Scotland have died after contracting Covid-19.

The figures, published by the National Records of Scotland, found that almost a quarter (24.6%) of deaths occurred in care homes, compared with 62% in hospitals and 13% at home or in a non-institutional setting.

Overall, almost 70% of Covid-19 deaths involved people aged 75 and over, highlighting the devastating impact of the disease on older people.

Brian Sloan, Age Scotland chief executive, said: “It is devastating to learn that 237 care home residents in Scotland have died as a result of coronavirus. The fear we have had over the past few weeks about the impact this is having on some of the people most at risk has now sadly become a reality.

“No age group is immune but these grim figures highlight once again the devastating effect that this virus has on the lives of older people. Each and every death is a tragic loss to those who knew and loved them. Care homes must be supported with everything they need to prevent and stop the spread of this virus among residents and staff.”

Sloan is calling for assurances that care home residents have fair access to treatment, and that medical decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis after taking individual circumstances into account.

There is never an excuse to use a person’s age as a factor when deciding on medical care or admission to hospital,” he said.

Sloan said care staff across Scotland were working in very difficult circumstances, and urged that the care sector must not be seen as “second tier” in the coronavirus response.

He said: “They are very much frontline workers delivering critical services that keep people alive. They must be given robust protection equipment to keep themselves and their residents safe from infection. They should never be expected to work in an unsafe environment. We also urgently need more widespread testing to be made available for everyone who needs it, whether they work in a hospital, care home or community setting.

“Unfortunately, we expect more older residents of care homes in Scotland will die in the coming days, weeks and months as a result of coronavirus. Older residents and their carers deserve our full support as they navigate this difficult path ahead.”

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