Marie Curie comments on Scottish deaths at home figures

In response to National Records of Scotland data on the number of social care workers dying from Covid-19 and the increase in deaths at home,

Richard Meade, Marie Curie Head of Policy and Public Affairs Scotland said:

“At Marie Curie we have seen an increase in demand for the care we provide at home and are increasing our support for care homes. It’s shocking that social care workers have been hardest hit by this pandemic and there must be more work done urgently on how we can better protect and support all our healthcare workers.

“The NRS figures show an increase in deaths at home but that doesn’t necessarily mean those people have been supported with palliative care. During coronavirus our Marie Curie Nursing Services have seen an increase in demand for short visits and we’ve created rapid response services to best support families as well as ease pressures on the NHS. However we know that people are still missing out and we have serious concerns that a lot of care is falling on loved ones. The repercussions of that to their health and wellbeing, especially mental health, and the effect it will have on their grief will be felt for a long time to come.

“For anyone struggling we’d urge them to contact their GP or District Nurse and our free Support Line can also offer practical advice and a nurse to speak to - 0800 090 2309.”