SERIOUS doubts have been raised over the possibility of the SNP government meeting its target to test 100 per cent of Scotland’s care home staff.

Scottish Labour has said that the small number of tests carried out to date on front-line workers for coronavirus raises questions over Scotland’s ability to ensure all staff are examined. 

Last week, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman announced the government’s intention to test all care home staff from today. 

But the latest figures, which count tests administered up to May 18, show just 7.65 per cent of social care workers have been checked for Covid-19. 

Scottish Labour insisted that this programme of testing must now “urgently expand.”

Party leader Richard Leonard said: “That the number of social care workers tested so far for Covid-19 is so low is shameful and casts serious doubt over the SNP government’s ability to reach its target.

“Finally expanding testing to all care home staff is welcome, care homes have been at the epicentre of this crisis and the government’s slow response has only exacerbated the situation.

“It is now incumbent on the government to do all within its power to urgently expand the testing of care home staff and that must include taking testing to the staff, rather than expecting staff to travel to testing stations.”

He also urged Ms Freeman yesterday to “come clean” over the scale of discharging untested hospital patients into care homes.

Delayed discharge figures revealed that 921 patients were released from hospitals into care homes in March – the first month of the coronavirus crisis.

Mr Leonard raised concerns over the figures when the health secretary previously gave assurances the majority of those untested patients were sent to their own homes.

Speaking at Sunday’s daily briefing, Ms Freeman emphasised the government would continue to work with workers and trade unions in the coming weeks to best protect staff.

A government spokesman said: “There is widespread public endorsement for the approach that we are taking in Scotland and ministers are focused on mitigating the effects of what is an unprecedented global pandemic, and making decisions on the best information available.

“The Scottish government has brought forward a number of actions to help keep care home residents and care workers safe and will continue to focus our efforts and attention on that.”