A care home worker was sacked after she attended a gender reveal party when elderly residents "were most at risk of dying from Covid".

Karen Greer broke national lockdown rules to socialise indoors with 20 people in October 2020, before vaccines were available.

She was working as a care assistant at Hill View Care Home in Clydebank at the time, which had one of Scotland's highest death rates.

An investigation was launched and she was dismissed by the home, which is run by Advinia Care Homes Ltd.

She has now been issued with a warning by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) that will appear on her registration for six months.

The Herald:

The SSSC said her behaviour had shown "disregard" for the elderly residents in her care and government restrictions.

Figures released by the Crown Office in April last year show that 26 lives were lost at Hill View due to confirmed or suspected Covid - the highest number in West Dunbartonshire and joint fifth highest in Scotland.

The SSSC said: "Your behaviour had the potential to expose service users and colleagues to contracting Covid-19, given it was possible you could
have contracted this by attending the gender reveal party, and infect those service users to whom you provided care, and colleagues, when you returned to work. 

"This was at a point in time before Covid Vaccinations were available, and those vulnerable adults in care services were most at risk of becoming seriously ill, or dying, from contracting Covid-19."

The regular said she had breached five parts of the code of practice for social care workers and that her actions were "deliberate and planned" but noted that it was an isolated incident and "no harm" had resulted from her actions.

A spokesman for the care provider said: "At the end of 2020, when these allegations were brought to our attention, this staff member was suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation. 

"On conclusion of that investigation, she was dismissed from her position.

"Throughout the pandemic we operated a zero-tolerance policy with regard to the breaking of local coronavirus restrictions and we always expected our staff to follow the very latest Scottish Government guidance, both at work and in their local community.

"The safety and wellbeing of our residents and colleagues is our number one priority, and we continue to follow the very highest infection control protocols in our homes."