A coalition of healthcare workers is calling for the Scottish government to reverse its decision to withdraw face masks in health and social care settings – a move they say some patients see as playing ‘Russian roulette’ with their health.

Scottish Healthcare Workers Coalition (SHWC), a grassroots group of healthcare workers who face post-COVID illness from working during the pandemic, says it ‘strongly opposes’ the withdrawal of masks.

A core participant in the Scottish COVID Inquiry, SHWC says the government’s decision is ‘flawed and dangerous’.

In a letter sent to the First Minister cosigned by researchers and patients among others, the coalition urges the government to immediately re-introduce universal use of masks in all health and social care settings.

The collective also demands that the government ensures access to well-fitting respiratory protective equipment and commits to improving ventilation and air filtration.

The letter also outlines the need for the Scottish government to ‘acknowledge the ongoing significant risk of COVID-19 long-term disability to patients, service users, and workers’ across health and social care settings.

Dr Shaun Peter Qureshi from the Scottish Healthcare Workers Coalition said:

“At risk patients have entirely legitimate concerns that they may endanger their health by visiting their GP or hospital. With at least 4% of NHS staff now living with chronic post-COVID complications, the Scottish government must follow the evidence and improve protections from the airborne spread of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare settings, not reduce them.”

In May, the government issued guidance stating that masks are no longer required in health and social care settings across Scotland following announcement from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO declared that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency of international concern.

Now, today’s letter highlights ‘serious flaws’ in the withdrawal guidance – quoting the WHO’s Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who cautioned:

“The worst thing any country could do now is to use this news as a reason to let down its guard, to dismantle the systems it has built, or to send the message to its people that COVID-19 is nothing to worry about.”

The coalition says it fears that the withdrawal of masks in health and social care settings is doing ‘exactly what Dr Tedros has warned against’, highlighting the risk to patients, service users and staff.

The coalition is joined by clinically vulnerable patients, third sector workers, researchers into Long COVID, and Dr Sally Witcher, Founder and Director of Inclusive New Normal and equalities activist, in its call.

David Osborn, a Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner, said:

“The World Health Organization continues to recommend universal masking policies in health and social care. It is unclear that any health and safety risk assessment was undertaken by the Scottish government before making their decision to abandon universal masking which is viewed by some patients as playing ‘Russian Roulette’ with their health.”

The demand for better ventilation and air filtration in health and social care settings ‘as a matter of urgency’ comes as a call to align with international guidelines as set out by the Lancet COVID-19 Commission.

This call for the reintroduction of COVID-19 protections comes as a Stornoway hospital has announced it is closed for new patients after a number of positive cases of COVID-19.

Western Isles Hospital says to prevent further spread, the ward is closed to new admissions and visiting restrictions are in place, with visitors told they should wear a mask.

Beth Dickinson, an extremely clinically vulnerable patient, said:

“I am severely immunocompromised and have found the removal of face masks in healthcare settings to have affected my ability to access healthcare services safely. I need surgery in the future but may not be able to have it due to the lack of covid safety precautions.”

The letter has also been sent to all of Scotland’s NHS health boards.

While a response to this call is yet to be issued, a parliamentary committee dedicated to scrutinising the Scottish government’s response to COVID-19 recovery was dissolved last week.

Read more: Long COVID Inquiry launched; Disposable gloves to protect patients and the planet; The case for virus-killing uniforms; Desperately seeking COVID sense; Scotland's doctors ‘trying not to lose hope'

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