Reporter shares her experience of shielding
The wife of Perthshire North MSP John Swinney has told of her experience of shielding during the coronaviruis pandemic.
Elizabeth Quigley was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 20 years ago.
Because of her condition and treatment, the BBC reporter is one of many across the country shielding from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Every Saturday morning BBC Radio Scotland features the reporter behind the news story in its Reporters Notebook section.
Saturday’s (May 2) was a particularly moving and thought-provoking report from Elizabeth.
She openly shared how she has had to adapt and reinvent her working life over the years.
Working from home is nothing new for the former political correspondent, who admitted she sometimes felt“forgotten about” having had to work more and more from home as her mobility decreased.
The Perthshire mum has set up a studio in their nine-year-old son Matthew’s bedroom with blankets, duvets and her son’s football strips helping to ensure the audio is acceptable.
She said:“It’s not nine-year-old Matthew making a mess of his room - it’s his mother.”
Unable to travel to Glasgow or Edinburgh for meetings which would be too exhausting and debilitating for Elizabeth, she has been working from home for years.
She said:“For several years I have been quietly making it work on a very small scale.”
And now this remote way of working has become the“new normal” for many reporters. Elizabeth’s husband, the deputy first minister John Swinney, could not contain his pride for his“wonderful wife”when he shared the BBC online article on Twitter at the weekend.
The Perthshire North MSP shared a link to the article on Saturday morning saying:“Here is a fascinating piece by my wonderful wife Elizabeth Quigley.
“Well worth listening to her Reporters Notebook on BBC GMS at 8.55 this morning.”
Mr Swinney praised his wife for her“grit”and “amazing spirit.”