Coronavirus: Police investigation into care homes across Scotland is 'distressing' frontline staff

Police officers are gathering evidence on all COVID-19-linked care home deaths in Scotland with some frontline care workers undergoing “distressing” questioning, as part of a probe into Scottish care homes.

Police are investigating coronavirus-linked deaths in care homes, which totalled almost 1,978 up to October 11, according to National Records of Scotland.

Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC said last May that all confirmed or suspected COVID-19 deaths in care homes and the deaths of people believed to have contracted the virus at work, must be reported to Scotland's prosecution office - the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).

COPFS established the COVID Deaths Investigation Team (CDIT) to oversee the investigation and is working with Police Scotland on ‘Operation Koper’.

Care homes are being given 14 days by police to give details about COVID deaths.

Leaked documents, seen by Channel 4 News, contain questions for care homes regarding each COVID-19 death.

The information care homes must give to police includes copies of:

• The care home’s layout, including the position of the bed slept in by any resident whose death was linked to COVID-19.

• Infection prevention and control checklist and all revisions to infection control policy, any records relevant to infection prevention and control measures.

• COVID-19 risk assessment documents.

• Government guidance followed by the care home.

• PPE invoices and emails with suppliers.

• Training documents.

Scottish Care: 'Distressing'

Donald Macaskill, chief executive of Scottish Care, which represents care homes has said: “The process of gathering the information is what is particularly distressing.

“This is a significant amount of information which each care home has to communicate and it has to be done in a relatively limited period of time which in itself is a burden to staff who are actively fighting the pandemic at this minute.

“We recognise that is absolutely right for families to be assured that all precautions were taken and their loved ones were cared for in the manner that they should have been but we would call for similar treatment in deaths outside of care homes.”

COPFS has said the police probe does not mean a crime is being investigated and the deaths may be the subject of a fatal accident inquiry or prosecution.

A Crown Office spokesman said: “COPFS has established a dedicated team to deal with reports of COVID-19 or presumed COVID-19 deaths in care homes or where the deceased may have contracted the virus in the course of their employment.

“The team will work with the relevant agencies to ensure that all necessary and appropriate investigations are undertaken and that each investigation progresses as expediently as it can.”

Assistant Chief Constable Judi Heaton, Police Scotland lead for major crime and public protection, said: “People are understandably concerned about deaths occurring in care homes which are related to coronavirus.

“COPFS requests to Police Scotland will be directed to a central point, all inquiries will be logged and managed by the unit, and our action and response will be centrally co-ordinated.

“The unit will be responsible for reporting back to the COPFS CDIT. The decision on whether further inquiry will need to be undertaken is a matter for the CDIT”.