Officer failed to reveal number of home visits
Trips breached her own advice twice
SCOTLAND’S FORMER chief medical officer Dr Catherine Calderwood failed to reveal a second visit to her holiday home during the coronavirus lockdown when the news broke, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
Dr Calderwood resigned on Sunday night, a day after photos emerged showing her flouting social distancing measures by visiting her second home in Fife with her family.
The Scottish Government had initially claimed in a statement that she “took the opportunity this weekend to check on a family home in Fife as she knows she will not be back again until the crisis is over”.
However, at Sunday’s press conference the CMO admitted she had visited the holiday home twice in the past two weekends, in direct contradiction of her guidance for Scots to remain at
home and travel.
Questioned about the discrepancy, Ms Sturgeon revealed Dr Calderwood had only told her about one of the two visits on Saturday night, only disclosing the second trip the following day.
Ms Sturgeon said: “The statement that went out was a reflection
avoid
unnecessary of our understanding at that time of the reasons for her visit that weekend.
“That reflected the understanding we had, but she later made clear that there had been a second visit and, of course, made that clear at the briefing yesterday.”
The First Minister said the reasons for Dr Calderwood making the 44-mile journey between homes were “irrelevant” because “there was no justification for her having been at the house at one or two occasions because it was in breach of the guidance and advice that was issued”.
Ms Sturgeon had originally wanted Dr Calderwood to remain in post, arguing that losing her would be “damaging” to the government’s coronavirus response.
Deputy Dr Gregor Smith has been promoted to interim chief medical officer, with Ms Sturgeon explaining she wanted “as much continuity of advice as possible” until the permanent successor is appointed.
Ms Sturgeon added: “Gregor, as deputy chief medical officer, has been integrally involved in the development of our response so far, but of course we continue to take a wide range of advice from different
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon explains the Government’s first response. scientific expertise and it’s important that continues.
“The consideration of a longerterm replacement will happen as soon as we get to a point in the development of this virus that we think we’ve got the ability to consider that properly.”
Dr Calderwood initially apologised after photos of herself and her family near a coastal retreat in Earlsferry were published in the Scottish Sun on Saturday.
The 51-year-old, who was issued with a police warning over her conduct, told the briefing at the Scottish Government headquarters in Edinburgh on Sunday that she had also visited the property in Fife last weekend with her husband.
In her statement, Dr Calderwood said: “I am deeply sorry for my actions and the mistakes I have made.
“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.”
Earlier on Sunday evening, Ms Sturgeon confirmed that Dr Calderwood was withdrawing from the daily updates about coronavirus and would also no longer feature in the Scottish Government’s advertising campaign about the outbreak.
The statement that went out was a reflection of our understanding.