ALLIANCE response to inquiry on excess deaths since the start of the pandemic

The ALLIANCE has responded to the COVID-19 Recovery Committee's inquiry into excess deaths in Scotland since the start of the pandemic.

The ALLIANCE has responded to the COVID-19 Recovery Committee’s inquiry into excess deaths in Scotland since the start of the pandemic (this link will take you away from our website).

Data from the Scottish Government (this link will take you away from our website) shows that deaths in Scotland are 11% above the average for this time of year and have been above the average for the last 26 weeks .

ALLIANCE members and partners have continually emphasised that the COVID-19 pandemic is not over. It is important to recognise that people are continuing to be directly and indirectly impacted by COVID-19, and new issues are emerging. As the Scottish Government sets plans for recovery and renewal, it is imperative that the ongoing impacts of the virus are addressed and considered, alongside the indirect and non-COVID related health impacts.

Our response outlines the ways in which the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 have impacted disabled people, people living with long term conditions and unpaid carers. It also makes key recommendations to ensure that the indirect health impacts of COVID-19 are adequately addressed. These include:

• Adopting an equalities, human rights, intersectional and person centred focus. Steps should be taken to ensure that measures taken to control the virus, as well as responses in the wider health and social care sector, are explicitly aligned with human rights.
• A holistic care and support planning approach should be adopted in primary care to ensure ongoing support for people accessing healthcare services and support. Scotland’s House of Care model is a useful framework to ensure that people living with long term conditions are meaningfully involved in decisions about their care.
• To mitigate the impact of COVID-19, urgent investment in health and social is needed. This must recognise the third sector as an equal and valued partner in the design and delivery of health and social care services and support through long term, adequate and sustainable funding.
• Health and wellbeing should be prioritised by increasing investment in community and asset based services. This could be done by expanding Community Links Practitioners (CLPs) to all GP practices, with prioritisation to appointing CLPs in practices within Scotland’s 100 most deprived areas.
• Robust research on the impact of COVID-19 should be undertaken, underpinned by disaggregated data collection and intersectional analysis. This should be used to inform future support and services to ensure practical, inclusive measures are adopted to support people, including disabled people, people living with long term conditions, and unpaid carers.

Read the full response.

End of news item.

End of page.