The number of people who died in every care home

across Scotland has been revealed, showing for the first time the extent to which some of the most vulnerable in our society were affected by the virus.

The data was released by the Crown Office and is available to view via an interactive dashboard.

It shows the care homes and operators that were hardest hit by the novel coronavirus and is part of an investigation to determine if the deaths should be the subject of a fatal accident inquiry or prosecution.

Many have questioned the way that hospitalised patients were discharged into care homes at the beginning of the pandemic, without a proper testing regime in place and a lack of understanding regarding asymptomatic spread.

Care home operators have said they were let down by government policies at the beginning of the pandemic.

The Scottish Government maintains that saving lives has always been at the forefront of its decision making.

The extent to which care homes had been affected had been unclear, with care providers under no legal obligation to publish information.

The Crown Office figures shows that of the 351 COVID related deaths recorded in North Ayrshire since the beginning of the pandemic, 24.9 per cent occurred in care homes.

That figure is lower than the national average.

There have been more than 10,000 COVID-related

deaths in Scotland with around a third of all those being said to have occurred in care homes.

The breakdown for each care home in North Ayrshire is as follows:

Fullarton Care Home – 20 deaths – 5.7 per cent

Arran View Care Home – 18 deaths – 5.1 per cent

Spiers Care Home – 13 deaths – 3.7 per cent

Buckreddan Care Centre – 9 deaths – 2.6 per cent

Caledonia Care Home – 8 deaths – 2.3 per cent

Shalom Nursing Home – 7 deaths – 2 per cent

Abbeyfield House Care Home – 6 deaths – 1.7 per cent

South Beach House - <5 deaths – 0.3 per cent

Haylie House Residential Home - <5 deaths – 0.3 per cent

Glenburnie House - <5 deaths – 0.3 per cent

Cumbrae Lodge Care Home - <5 – 0.3 per cent

Anam Cara - <5 – 0.3 per cent

Abbotsford Nursing Home - <5 deaths – 0.3 per cent

On Sunday, Nicola Sturgeon called for a UK-wide public inquiry into the pandemic by the end of the year, adding she would move ahead with a Scottish-only probe if that can’t be agreed in good time.