Scotland’s chief medical officer has resigned after she admitted visiting her second home twice despite coronavirus restrictions.
Earlier today, Dr Catherine Calderwood said she ‘apologised unreservedly’ for disobeying the guidelines she herself had set out by heading to Earlsferry for the weekend – more than hour’s drive away from her main home in Edinburgh.
At first she stated that she would be remaining in her role – a move backed by Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon – but tonight she announced her resignation ‘with a heavy heart’.
In a statement, she said she agreed that the ‘justifiable focus on my behaviour risks becoming a distraction from the hugely important job’.
She added: ‘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.’
Dr Calderwood is now expected to work over the next few days to ensure a ‘smooth transition’ to her successor, who has not yet been named.
Sturgeon paid tribute to Dr Calderwood’s time as Scotland’s CMO, stating that she had been ‘transformational’ in the role.
She continued: ‘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.
‘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.’
Jay-Z and Meek Mill send 100,000 masks to prisoners amid coronavirus pandemic
Earlier today Dr Calderwood admitted she did not follow the advice she had been giving to others, telling the public she was ‘truly sorry’ for her actions.
She continued: I’ve seen a lot of the comments from members of the public on Twitter today, people calling me a hypocrite, people telling me about the hardships they’ve endured while following my guidance.
‘My office has also received emails from members of the public who have made clear to me their disappointment and unhappiness with what I’ve done. People have told me I am irresponsible, and that I have behaved as if my advice does not apply to me.
‘I want people to know I have seen all of that, and I have heard the comments. What I did was wrong and I am very sorry. It will not happen again.’
Coronavirus latest news and updates
- Visit our live blog for the latest updates: Coronavirus news live
- Read all new and breaking stories on our Covid-19 news page
- Coronavirus symptoms explained
- Find out the latest on which shops can stay open in a lockdown
- Who needs to go to work, who needs to stay at home and who is classed as a key worker?
from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8291209 https://ift.tt/2xQKdy6
No comments:
Post a Comment