A care home worker in West Dumbartonshire with suspected coronavirus has died, leading to urgent calls for personal protective equipment (PPE). 

Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Monica Lennon labelled care staff the "unsung heroes" of the pandemic. 

Lennon said she has written to the First Minister demanding guarantees care staff will be provided PPE. 

“Social care staff are the unsung heroes of the coronavirus pandemic. The death of a member of the social care family will be met with great sadness,” Ms Lennon said.

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“Home carers in my region have been asked to use PPE sparingly due to scarce supplies. This is far from an isolated example and I have written to the First Minister today asking her to guarantee safe systems of work for all social care staff because lives are at stake.”

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said access to protective clothing and equipment for health and social care staff is a “problem across Scotland”.

Ms Baillie, who represents Dumbarton, said: “In this time of crisis, we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to those heroic health and care workers who risk their lives daily to care for and treat those in need.

This very sad news will come as a great blow to the family and to my local community. My thoughts are with them and I share in their grief.

“It is clear that access to protective clothing and equipment for health and social care staff is a problem across Scotland.

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“Supplies are rationed because there is simply not enough and the strategy appears to be determined by that shortage of supply, rather than what health guidance dictates.

“This is simply not good enough and is putting lives at risk. The Scottish Government must act urgently to protect our brave frontline workers. It is our duty to do so.”

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