THE First Minister has paid tribute to foreign care home workers and said she will make "strong representations" to the UK Government for them to be included in post-Brexit visa schemes.

It comes after Downing Street confirmed that social care workers will not qualify for the new post-Brexit health and care visa.

Speaking at the Scottish Government's coronavirus briefing, Sturgeon thanked health and care workers and said: "The entire country is extremely grateful to you for everything you do.

"And today, let me be very clear that that includes the care home staff who do us the honour of coming to Scotland from overseas to work here, including the 6 to 8% of our care home workers who come from other countries within the European Union.

READ MORE: ‘Utter slap in the face’ as Tories snub care workers from health visa

"In my view, it is essential that care home workers are included in any scheme for post-Brexit work visas.

"The Scottish Government will continue to make strong representations on that point to the UK Government."

Sturgeon said the decision to exclude care workers from overseas from the visa could have a “devastating impact” on the industry.

The head of Scottish Care, Donald Macaskill, has said the UK Government announcement is an “utter slap in the face for the care sector”.

But in a written ministerial statement to the House of Commons, Home Secretary Priti Patel insisted it was a "necessary change".

She said: “At a time where an increased number of people across the UK are looking for work, the new points-based system will encourage employers to invest in the domestic UK workforce, rather than simply relying on labour from abroad.

“But we are also making necessary changes, so it is simpler for employers to attract the best and brightest from around the world to come to the UK to complement the skills we already have.”