Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton Constituency, has called on the Scottish Government to provide weekly routine COVID-19 tests to all frontline workers, including for staff who provide at-home care.

This follows warnings from Royal Colleges and public health experts that the NHS is in danger of buckling under the double impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and additional winter illnesses.

Jackie Baillie has consistently called for repeated COVID-19 tests to be given to all frontline workers include NHS hospital staff, care home staff and workers who provide at-home care.

Jackie Baillie MSP said:

“It is vitally important that every effort is made to reduce the pressure on the NHS as much as possible this winter. We already know that our services are at breaking point because of COVID-19 and the addition of the winter flu season is only going to make matters worse.

“All frontline staff, including hospital workers, care home staff and workers who provide at-home care, should be given routine COVID-19 tests to ensure that they can continue to carry out their important work without the worry of passing on COVID-19 to their vulnerable patients.

“Lessons are not being learnt about asymptomatic transmission, and from the tragic deaths linked to hospital and care home outbreaks.

“Testing and quicker contact tracing is crucial to minimising Covid-19 exposure in our NHS and to minimise the pressure on our health service this winter season.”