Word of mouth is an important part of information rollout say Council

That is the issue which is currently being tackled in the Western Isles, where an elderly population may not have the ability to get online and find out what help is out there which could benefit them.

Highlands and Islands MSP Donald Cameron warned that the elderly must not be overlooked, as Governments - both locally and nationally - are increasingly turning to technology to disseminate information to the public.

Mr Cameron said: “In a dispersed region like the Highlands and Islands, with a greater proportion of elderly people and with patchy broadband, a technological solution may not be a total solution.

“I welcome the development of apps which can help with the test, trace and isolate schemes, but we will have to take great care to ensure that the measures taken to tackle the virus are appropriate to rural regions like mine and don’t leave gaps.

“As we have sadly seen, elderly people are particularly at risk, and we have a special duty of care to them as we manage our way through this pandemic.”

Recently the issue of information rollout has been raised by several Community Councils in the Islands when they asked Comhairle nan Eilean Siar how it was promoting useful information and support to the most vulnerable households across the region.

Until this week individual groups across the Islands - recognising early on that many of the elderly do not have online access - took on the responsibility of this aspect of communication and organised leaflets containing useful information to be delivered to households in their own particular area.

However, the Comhairle has been wary of this approach.

Talking about the matter, a spokesperson explained: “Comhairle nan Eilean Siar continues to utilise radio coverage, TV, social media, press releases, websites and various other means to communicate with the residents of the Western Isles.

“However, the importance of verbal messaging cannot be understated in getting messages to people throughout – what we all recognise to be – a resilient community. This is particularly the case for neighbours and family members who may not be online.

“The Comhairle is therefore encouraging communities to assist both the Comhairle and NHS Western Isles in passing on key COVID-19 messages to elderly and vulnerable people using safe means such as telephone, e-mail and social media.

The spokesperson continued: “Clarification can be given today that there are no plans from the Comhairle for a leaflet distribution throughout the Western Isles.

“Any leaflets would not only be expensive to produce but could very quickly be out of date and would – importantly – also present an additional and unnecessary risk by increasing door to door delivery.”

In line with Scottish Government advice should you receive any leaflets through your letterbox, you should ensure that you thoroughly wash your hands after handling.

If anyone needs help or support, there is a Council helpline open from Monday to Friday 9am-5pm - 01851 600 501.