One of the leading voices for Scotland's care community says he is confident that care homes will be provided with enough PPE to enable a preventative approach to covid-19, rather than only receiving kit when homes have a suspected or confirmed case.

The establishment of 70 social care PPE hubs will make a “huge difference” to social care services, says Dr Donald Macaskill.

Speaking to healthandcare.scot, Scottish Care’s chief executive thinks that over the next few days “we will see a move from just identified or suspected case support to a more preventative model”.

In recent weeks care homes have raised concerns that they would only be provided with additional personal protective equipment (PPE) if they had a confirmed or suspected case of covid-19 – a “completely nuts” policy according to Derek Barron, director of care of Erskine care homes and veterans village.

Dr Macaskill continues: “The establishment of multiple distribution settings where providers can go to their local distribution centre rather than wait for a delivery from a central point will make a huge difference.

“And I think over the next few days we will see a move from just identified or suspected case support to a more preventative model.

“I am reasonably confident that because of the sheer volume of effort being put in by everybody that the PPE issue with be substantially addressed in the next few days.”

In addition to maintaining deliveries to over 700 hospitals next week, the government says it will distribute half a million aprons, 750,000 masks and two million gloves through the social care delivery points.

“The effort over the last two weeks has been quite exceptional,” adds Dr Macaskill. “It’s like creating Amazon overnight and so the triage system has enabled the majority of providers where there is an identified case or a suspected case to have appropriate PPE delivered to them.”

Sign up to our bulletin sent twice a week so you don’t miss out on the latest health and social care news.