Labour demands introduction of Anne’s Law to prevent future lockdown heartache

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is being urged to introduce law changes to allow family members to be recognised as carers to end the “preventable heartache” of being separated from loved ones in care homes.

The so-called Anne’s Law would seek to give families the right to visit people in care homes after the “harm and trauma” caused by coronavirus lockdowns.

Scottish Labour will lead a debate in Holyrood on Wednesday calling for the implementation of Anne’s Law, named after Anne Duke – the mother of Natasha Hamilton who launched a campaign to ensure one family member be granted access to care homes regardless of lockdown levels.

Ahead of the debate, Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman, Jackie Baillie, called for the First Minister to personally intervene to enshrine the right in Scots Law.

Ms Baillie said: “Nowhere throughout our pandemic has there been greater or more costly failure than in Scotland’s care homes.

“The cost in human lives was tragic, and the suffering caused unimaginable.

“But care home residents and their families are still being failed.

“For months, as restrictions for the rest of the country eased, care homes remained under repeated lockdowns, causing harm and trauma for the residents and their families.

“Even now, residents who test positive are forced to isolate for a minimum of 10 days, and homes with recorded cases are closed to most visitors for at least a fortnight.

“Heartbroken relatives and lonely residents have been subjected to rolling lockdowns, ending all contact between them for weeks on end. This cannot go on.

“It’s time for the First Minister to listen to relatives and care users and implement Anne’s law and end this preventable heartache.”