A GRIEVING daughter says her mother’s death from Covid-19 must have been “like drowning” because she was not taken into hospital for treatment.

Sandra O’Neill, 66, believes her mother would have recovered if she had received adequate medical care and claims she had been in good health until three days before she died.

Mary Masson, 88, is one of nine people to have died after testing positive for coronavirus while at Almond Court care home.

Sandra told national media the residents became ill after at least one person, who was displaying symptoms, was discharged to the care home without being tested, before being treated by staff who had no PPE.

In addition, it’s understood that the resident was not isolated on arrival at the home.

The Scottish Government has now been urged to launch a public inquiry into their decision to discharge suspected coronavirus patients from hospital, back into care homes, as many believe it led to avoidable deaths.

Raising Ms O’Neill’s case at First Minister’s Questions, Jackson Carlaw, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said: “Sandra has nothing but good words to say about the front-line care staff who looked after her mother during the three years of her stay, but she now has a series of questions about how her mother caught the disease.

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“She says that, in March, as in other care homes, there were examples of people who were in hospital and who were returned to the home despite clearly being ill.

“She says that there are those in the home who believe that in at least one case residents had symptoms consistent with Covid-19 when they were returned.”

In response, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Clinical risk assessments should be carried out of the patients who were being discharged from hospital.

“Nobody who had symptoms of coronavirus, and certainly nobody for whom the clinical assessment was that they should continue to be in hospital, should have been discharged in that way.

“The risk assessments are required to be done by clinicians and professionals, but the guidance that was in place was clear and should have been followed very carefully, as all guidance should be followed, whether it is to hospitals or to care homes.”

A spokeswoman for Almond Court care home said: “We have sadly had first-hand experience in dealing with coronavirus in our care home, and some residents have sadly passed away with the virus.

“Our thoughts are with their loved ones at this difficult time, and they will be greatly missed by staff and residents alike.

“I can confirm that we currently have no confirmed or suspected cases within the home.

“We continue to be vigilant and are following all the relevant guidance from Health Protection Scotland and the Scottish Government in relation to infection prevention and control.”