NICOLA STURGEON has admitted that the Scottish government may not know how many patients are being discharged to care homes without being tested for Covid-19.

During First Minister’s Questions today, Ms Sturgeon was pressed for details of patients who tested positive for coronavirus continuing to be transferred to care homes. 

Last week Neil Findlay MSP quizzed Health Secretary Jeane Freeman on the matter, after hospital patients were sent to a West Lothian care home having tested positive for Covid-19. 

Ms Sturgeon has said that there is no policy approving these moves, and admitted she could not say how many cases like this occur as they were clinical decisions.

She added the policy was very clear that two negative tests were required before going to a care home if a patient had Covid-19, or one for other reasons, but there may be ethical and clinical reasons why there had to be exceptions. 

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard also hit out at the government over the admission, and questioned whether Ms Sturgeon and her ministers would need to be interviewed as part of an investigation into care home deaths north of the border, which the First Minister said was an issue for the Crown Office. 

Mr Leonard went on to criticise the approach to testing health and social care workers, accusing the government of “breaking promises,” with around a fifth of staff still not being checked. 

“What confidence can people have, residents, families waiting to see their loved ones after months and months of separation, that this time you will move heaven and earth to honour that promise that this time they will not be let down?” he said.