AFTER weekend reports of senior citizens being discharged from hospital with coronavirus to care homes in Fife MSP Alex Rowley has written to NHS Fife's Chief Executive Carol Potter asking or data and a meeting.

Mr Rowley said in his letter: "I am writing to raise with you the report in a Sunday newspaper that at least four older people were discharged from hospital into care homes in Fife when they had tested positive for COVID-19.

"If this is the case, and it would seem to be so, then you must recognise the disbelief amongst families and friends that the NHS Board would knowingly place people with COVID-19 who are themselves very vulnerable, into a care home setting with even more vulnerable people.

"I am asking you to provide every bit of information you have on how many people were transferred from hospital into care homes? Of those, how many were tested and of those how many tested positive?"

He added: "I am concerned that three weeks ago the Director of Health and Social Care told me when I requested this information under FOI that ‘NHS Fife does not hold the information’. This was clearly not the case.

"So I would suggest to you in the interest of common decency for the families and friends of those who have lost their lives and those who have suffered illness, that NHS Fife makes available the information I am requesting.

"It will be crucial to know what information care homes knew about the people they were being asked to take into their care and what assessment was carried out by NHS Fife of the ability of the care home to care for those individuals. It is also crucial to know what assessment was carried out of the risk to other residents.

"I am sure you understand the gravity of this situation and the need for total openness and transparency. I would welcome a meeting with yourself and the Chair of NHS Fife to discuss the detail of these issues and the likely timescale for any local review".