SOCIAL care services in Argyll and Bute, including Helensburgh, are to receive more than £900,000 in government cash to deal with the financial implications of the fight against Covid-19.

The Argyll and Bute health and social care partnership (HSCP) will receive a share of £50 million being paid out to partnerships across Scotland.

The Scottish Government says the funding "will help address immediate challenges faced in the social care sector and support ongoing provision of social care".

Argyll and Bute's slice of the cake will be £903,000.

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According to figures published by the National Records of Scotland on Wednesday, there have been 58 deaths in Argyll and Bute in which Covid-19 was mentioned on the person's death certificate.

Twenty-eight of those deaths happened in a hospital setting, while 22 happened in a care home; the remaining eight were at the person's home or in another non-institutional setting.

There is, however, no breakdown of how many of those deaths happened in the Helensburgh and Lomond area.

In neighbouring West Dunbartonshire, where that area's HSCP is in line to receive £898,000 from the new scheme, there have been 99 deaths from, or linked to, Covid-19, with 48 of them in care homes and 47 in hospital settings.

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Announcing details of the additional cash to Scotland's HSCPs, health secretary Jeane Freeman said: “We know the social care sector is at the frontline of the current pandemic and the Scottish Government has been undertaking a detailed review of additional costs incurred by the sector.

“This funding is part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to support resilience in social care provision and ensure that any increasing need for social care as a result of the pandemic is met.

“I hope this will reassure the social care sector that additional costs related to Covid-19 will be provided and we will continue to work closely with Cosla [the umbrella body for Scotland's councils] and NHS boards to ensure they have the resources needed throughout this pandemic.”

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