Nicola Sturgeon and her senior ministers have admitted failing to visit a single care home since the start of the Covid pandemic.
A total of 4020 residents died with the virus in Scotland and the First Minister has faced tough criticism over the policy of discharging infected patients from hospitals into homes.
And there has been fury over postcode lottery-style visiting restrictions that have seen care home residents endure the toughest rules separating them from loved ones.
We can reveal Sturgeon, deputy first minister John Swinney, health secretary Humza Yousaf and social care minister Kevin Stewart all avoided visiting a home even once over the last two years.
The First Minister has repeatedly said that decisions on Scotland’s 1142 care homes were some of the most difficult that she had to take during the pandemic.
Campbell Duke, whose late wife Anne died in a care home last year has fought tirelessly for rights of all care home residents and their families.
He said: “In such a human drama somebody from government should have stepped up to the mark and shown some decency, compassion and genuine interest by visiting a care home.”
Outraged Labour MSP Monica Lennon said: “SNP ministers have appeared out of touch on care homes, before and during the pandemic.
“That senior members of the government have not even undertaken a window or garden visit to a care home reveals a lot about their priorities.
“Residents, their loved ones and the undervalued staff who support them have been badly failed.
“This ‘out of sight, out of mind’ culture cannot continue.
“Older and disabled people living in care homes have been locked away and their voices silenced for too long, despite all the advances in vaccines, testing and infection prevention control.
“Nicola Sturgeon and her government need to treat people in care homes with more respect.”
The lack of visits emerged in a response to a parliamentary question from Kevin Stewart to Lennon.
It in, he said: “Ministers have not visited any care homes in their official capacity during the Covid pandemic, but have closely monitored the situation throughout.
“Both the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and myself took office in May 2021, partway through the pandemic.
“I was previously scheduled to undertake two care home visits, however these had to be postponed for safety reasons due to a Covid outbreak and the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron.
“The safety and protection of residents and staff is paramount in such situations.
“In my role as lead for social care policy, I have regularly spoken to a range of stakeholders from the sector including family and sector representatives.
“I have also spoken to care home staff and managers. I will be rescheduling care home visits in due course.”
Scotland’s Chief Social Work Adviser Iona Colvin and Chief Medical Officer Sir Gregor Ian Smith have both also failed to visit a home.
National Clinical Director Jason Leitch is the only top official to have gone on an official visit, on February 21 last year.
Scottish Conservative Shadow Social Care Minister Craig Hoy said: “While Covid undoubtedly made these visits harder, not carrying out one visit at all is a dereliction of duty from SNP Ministers.
“Critical errors were made in relation to our care homes by Ministers at the height of the pandemic.
“Thousands of families are still grieving the loss of loved ones as a result.
“Families have also suffered heartbreaking restrictions when visiting relatives in care homes, so it would have been beneficial for Ministers to see first-hand the impact these measures had on residents. That would have ensured Ministers were better informed to shape policies to support some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”
Sonia Dixon removed her 101-year-old nan Doreen Tilly from a care home in Glenrothes, three months before her death last year over fears her care needs were not being met.
A complaint about standards of care at Woodside Court has been upheld by the Care Inspectorate.
Sonia said: “This is absolutely disgraceful but not surprising.
“Just one visit to a care home would have given a government minister an invaluable insight into the unbelievable stress and suffering people have endured.
“Nicola Sturgeon was always saying how difficult decisions on care homes were to make because of the impact on families. Visiting a care home would have helped her and her team make better decisions.”
Former carer Anne Duke is the inspiration behind Anne’s Law, legislation that will ensure all those in homes get access to loved ones even during a pandemic.
Her husband Campbell said: “I would have been more than happy to entertain any government minister at any time in my wife’s room, and give them the chance to experience her awful situation.
“Instead everything was considered through a cold and detached analysis of charts and graphs.
“From day one of the pandemic they simply closed the doors on relatives and shut down the lives of residents.
“The government operated a clinically sterile and risk- averse policy, while simply refusing to confront the grim reality their guidance inflicted on care home residents.”
The Scottish government has pledged an inquiry into the Covid deaths of all those in care during the pandemic.
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