Jeane Freeman has told the UK COVID-19 Inquiry she will 'regret for the rest of her life' care home deaths caused by Scottish government decision-making.
Ms Freeman, who was Scotland's health secretary during the pandemic up to the 2021 Holyrood election, said there were "no risk-free choices" when considering whether to introduce social distancing measures into care homes.
Her tenure oversaw key decisions such as discharging patients to care homes without testing them for COVID first.
She told the inquiry: "I was very concerned about our care sector and regret very much, and will do for the rest of my life, any deaths that occurred there because of action the Scottish government didn't, or did take, and could have done better."
Ms Freeman said it was incorrect to say there was a lack of urgency or prioritisation of the issues posed by the care sector.
She said she had "two-fold" concern on moving people into care homes, including the urge to ensure patients who were ready to leave hospital were not kept in any longer, leading to additional risks of diminished muscle capabilities or contracting the virus.
"Against that was the risk of transferring people to care homes who had not been tested," she said.
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