Guidance on how to use PPE for carers looking after a close friend or family member has been published as Scotland enters a fifth week of lockdown.

From today unpaid carers will be able to access virus protective kit from government-provided stocks.

It follows weeks of anxiety among Scotland’s 700,000 carers about how they could protect themselves and the people they support.

Carers who support someone who has a condition that means they are at very high risk of coronavirus and are in the ‘shielded’ group should wear a face mask if “you are providing care for your friend or family member”, government advice says.

People with caring responsibilities who want to access PPE are being told to contact their local carers’ centre or council.

If these are unavailable they are being advised to call the Scottish Government’s social care PPE hotline on 0300 303 3020.

The promise to provide protective gear includes personal assistants who are employed by disabled people to support them.

It followed warnings from the care sector that some people were being left ‘exposed and vulnerable’.

Speaking on Saturday, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “As we respond to the challenges from global scarcity of PPE, we have worked with partners to agree an improved model that will ensure all social care providers have access to supplies from national NHS stock.

“In the coming weeks, we will collectively monitor how this model is operating, identifying challenges quickly and taking action as we deal with the evolving nature of the pandemic.”

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