Stay at home FOR GOOD
Chief Medical Officer Calderwood resigns after breaking her own rules to visit holiday home twice
SCOTLAND’S Chief Medical Officer quit last night after being blasted for not obeying her own “stay at home” advice.
Dr Catherine Calderwood had issued a grovelling apology to her boss Nicola Sturgeon after it emerged that she had twice visited her holiday home – despite urging the public to remain in lockdown.
The First Minister initially supported her remaining in the role but late last night Calderwood resigned “with a heavy heart”.
She had received a police warning after admitting visiting her holiday home with her family two weekends in a row.
In her resignation statement, she added that “justifiable focus on my behaviour risks becoming a distraction from the hugely important job”.
SCOTLAND’S Chief Medical Officer resigned last night after receiving a torrent of criticism for not obeying her own “stay at home” advice.
Dr Catherine Calderwood initially issued an apology after being caught visiting her holiday home in Fife twice – and was backed by Nicola Sturgeon to remain in the role.
However, after further conversations with the First Minister, Calderwood said last night she had resigned “with a heavy heart”.
In a statement, she said: “The most important thing to me now and over the next few very difficult months is that people across Scotland know what they need to do to reduce the spread of this virus – and that means they must have complete trust in those who give them advice.
“I am deeply sorry for my actions and the mistakes I have made.
“The First Minister and I have had a further conversation this evening.
“We have agreed that the justifiable focus on my behaviour risks becoming a distraction from the hugely important job that government and the medical profession has to do in getting the country through this coronavirus pandemic.
“Having worked so hard on the Government’s response, that is the last thing I want.
“The most important thing to me now and over the next few very difficult months is that people across Scotland know what they need to do to reduce the spread of this virus and that means they must have complete trust in those who give them advice. It is with a heavy heart that I resign as Chief Medical Officer.
“I will work with my team over the next few days to ensure a smooth transition to my successor.”
Sturgeon said: “Dr Calderwood’s advice to me, to the government and to people across Scotland over the past few weeks has been the right advice. People should continue to stay at home to protect the NHS and to save lives.
“It is, however, clear that the mistake she made – even though she has apologised sincerely and honourably for it – risks distracting from and undermining confidence in the Government’s public health message at this crucial time. That is not a risk either of us is willing to take. “Catherine has been a transformational CMO, bringing changes to the way medicine is delivered in Scotland and in particular using her experience to bring an overdue focus to women’s health. “Also, her advice to me on coronavirus will be missed, which is why she will work to ensure a smooth transition in the days ahead. “While she has made a very serious mistake in her actions, that should not detract from the fact that, as CMO, she has made a highly valuable contribution to the medical profession and to health in Scotland, and I have no doubt she will continue to do so in future.
“She leaves office with my thanks and admiration.”
Earlier in the day, Calderwood looked shame-faced as she appeared at the daily briefing, where she has been the First Minister’s right-hand woman since the crisis broke.
But despite admitting to two trips to Fife and being visited by police, Sturgeon backed her, claiming she was invaluable to tackling the virus in Scotland.
Calderwood faced a storm of criticism after admitting she broke the “stay home – save lives” rule of the coronavirus pandemic by visiting her holiday home in Earlsferry with her family two weekends in a row.
Her TV adverts advising people to stay at home were scrapped last night after her admission that she travelled more than 40 miles from Edinburgh to her second home in Fife, for an overnight stay on Friday.
Sturgeon said she did not know about the visits to Fife until Saturday night and added: “The Chief Medical Officer made a mistake in travelling away from her home. Whatever her reasons for doing so, it was wrong and she knows that.”
After police visited Calderwood and spoke to her about her actions, Scotland’s Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said: “The legal instructions on not leaving your home without a reasonable excuse apply to everyone.”
The scandal broke as 220 people were confirmed to have died from coronavirus in Scotland after an increase of two deaths overnight. The number of confirmed cases has risen to 3706 – up from 3345. A total of 197 Scots are in intensive care receiving treatment, it has been confirmed.