FMQs: Nicola Sturgeon urged to start routine testing for health workers

The Scottish Government has been urged to introduce regular coronavirus testing for fronline health workers immediately, and not wait on advice from the UK scientific advisory body before it starts the tests.
Alison Johnstone raised the issue of routine testing for health workers.Alison Johnstone raised the issue of routine testing for health workers.
Alison Johnstone raised the issue of routine testing for health workers.

Scottish Greens MSP, Alison Johnstone, said that as “global evidence” showed that people can spread Covid-19 before they show symptoms, Nicola Sturgeon should commit to testing health staff, in the same way she has care home staff.

At First Minister’s Questions, Ms Johnstone also raised remarks by Scotland’s interim Chief Medical Office, Dr Gregor Smith, to MSPs on the Covid Committee, which said guidance on regular testing for hospital staff was “weeks away”.

Read More
FMQs: Only a fifth of care home staff tested for Covid-19 despite pledge
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He also revealed routing testing was only being introduced for care home staff after SAGE, the UK government’s advisory body, had said the Scottish Government should do so.

Ms Johnstone said: “Today we have reports that nurses are angry and demoralised about the spread of the virus on their wards, then Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer reveals the only reason regular testing was supposedly introduced in care homes was because UK government advisors told them to.

“We know that patients and staff have been infected with Covid in hospitals and many have lost their lives as a result. In April experts told us regular testing could reduce transmission in hospitals by up to a third.

“Scotland has increased its capacity to test, front line workers are calling for regular testing, so ongoing delays to these decisions help nobody. The Scottish Government cannot wait for advice from the UK government’s advisers, it needs to act on the evidence and stop the spread in our hospitals.”

It was revealed earlier this week that 908 patients were found to have Covid-19 after being admitted to hospital for other conditions and 218 of them died, though it it not clear if they acquired the infection in hospital, or in the community prior to admission. Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has also revealed this week that almost 900 doctors, nurses and medical staff are estimated to have contracted coronavirus in Scotland’s hospitals.

However Ms Sturgeon said an expert review group was due to give recommendations quickly and said the information about hospital-acquired infections had not yet been “validated”.

She added: “It’s right and proper in my view that we continue to take clinical advice about testing. Any clinician will tell you that there has to be a purpose to a test, and while we still have concerns about reliability of the test in asymptomatic people we don’t want to inadvertently suggest that testing is the only thing that needs to be done to reduce transmission of the virus. Infection prevention and control measures are the most important.”

However Ms Johnstone demanded to know why the First Minister had approved routine testing for care home workers and not hospital staff, and asked if she was “waiting until the UK government advises her to do it?”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ms Sturgeon hit back: “We take advice from SAGE and we have our own advisory group which feeds into SAGE, and we follow all the clinical advice. We have not resisted the principle of testing asymptomatic people, it’s not a principle this is about practical efficacy and it’s the case that experts will continue to say that the test is less reliable in people who don’t have symptoms.

“My concern is that if we focus all of our efforts on testing, when it’s giving false assurance, we’re taking our eye off the ball of the other things, perhaps more important things, that need to be done to minimise the risk of transmission.”

A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director

Comments

 0 comments

Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.