Chief medical officer criticised for ‘slow response and lack of detail’

THE chief medical officer has been criticised by her predecessor for a “slow” response in Salisbury.

The criticism followed a change of stance from health officials, who on Sunday told all those in the vicinity of the attack to wash their clothes – a full week after the attack.

Dame Sally Davies, right, said the advice was precautionary, insisting the matter was “not a subject for panic” with risks remaining low.

Yesterday, her predecessor Sir Liam Donaldson, questioned why officials had been so slow to react, and said the public had been given insufficient information. He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One: “What the public in Salisbury need reassurance about is … what was their risk of exposure? What do they need to do about it? What do they need to look out for?

“I’ve been a little surprised that the communication with the public has been in such general terms and slow to get off the ground.”

Sir Liam, the chief medical officer for England from 1998 to 2010, said public health officials should have done more in the immediate aftermath of the incident to examine the risks to individuals.

He added: “It would have been nice, I think, to have a more hands-on approach and a more individualised approach to dealing with people’s concerns.”