A statement by Health Secretary Jeane Freeman that  her own target on the testing of care home staff  is “unrealistic” has been described by Highlands and Islands MSP Donald Cameron as “extraordinary”.

Ms Freeman revealed that the SNP government are routinely not testing at least 1 in 4 care home staff, according to their own figures.

Mr Cameron, the Shadow Health Secretary, had  questioned Jeane Freeman in the Scottish Parliament about the SNP regularly missing its target by around 17,000 care home staff each week.

In response, Ms Freeman said that testing all staff was “unrealistic”.

However, as early as July, she promised that “testing of all staff is now a weekly occurrence, in any event”.

 Mr Cameron said: “This is an extraordinary thing to say, given it's such an incredibly serious issue.

“It is vital that care home staff, who have so bravely kept working through incredibly difficult conditions and continue to do so, are tested on a weekly basis to limit the spread of the virus.

“The SNP can’t just roll back promises whenever it becomes difficult.

“Nobody is expecting 100 per cent of care home staff to be tested each week but the SNP are miles wide of the mark at the moment.

“The excuses don’t cut it. The SNP need to drive the number of tests for care home staff far higher and stick to their original goal.”