Humiliated Nicola Sturgeon today admitted that the resignation of Scotland’s chief medical officer for flouting her own lockdown rules will damage the country’s coronavirus response.
The Scottish First Minister said it was ‘far from idea’ to have lost the expertise of Dr Catherine Calderwood – who twice drove to a second home in defiance of the crucial guidelines.
Ms Sturgeon said she was ‘trying to make the best judgements’ after initially trying to keep Dr Calderwood in post, before finally conceding she had to go late last night.
The shambolic departure came after the medic made a grovelling apology live on TV after being given a police warning for twice visiting her family’s coastal retreat in Earlsferry, Fife, more than 40 miles from her main home.
Ms Sturgeon told Good Morning Britain that it might have been ‘easier’ to have sacked Dr Calderwood immediately, but added: ‘I did hope that I could continue to call on her advice and expertise because at this point in dealing with the pandemic continuity of advice – she’s somebody who’s been immersed in this from the very outset – was important.
‘My view then, my view now is that it is far from ideal to have lost (her) at this stage but by last night it became very clear to me that whatever the risk of that was – and I think that was and is a risk – was outweighed by our message being crowded out and undermined.’
Ms Sturgeon has been at pains in recent weeks to be seen as acting more quickly and more decisively that Boris Johnson over coronavirus, including holding daily press conferences before senior UK ministers speak to the nation in the early evening.
In a press conference beside Ms Sturgeon yesterday, Dr Calderwood said her actions were ‘a mistake and human error’ and that were ‘no excuses’.
Dr Calderwood issued an apology and was initially backed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to remain in the role.
However after further conversations with Ms Sturgeon, it emerged that Dr Calderwood would no longer front the public health campaign.
The medic then finally announced late last night that she had resigned ‘with a heavy heart’, agreeing the ‘justifiable focus on my behaviour risks becoming a distraction from the hugely important job’.
Humiliated Nicola Sturgeon today admitted that the resignation of Scotland’s chief medical officer for flouting her own lockdown rules will damage the coronavirus response
Last week Dr Calderwood, 51, tweeted a photo of her family from their main residence in Edinburgh as they clapped for the front-line NHS staff working to stop the spread of Covid-19
But at the weekend it emerged the family had swapped the house in the Scottish capital (pictured) for their coastal retreat in Earlsferry, Fife, more than 40 miles away
Earlsferry, Fife, is 44 miles away from Edinburgh – a drive of around an hour
Facing the music in a round of broadcast interviews today, Ms Sturgeon said: ‘She made a big mistake in how she acted I understand people’s anger, she was right to apologise.
Doctor Catherine Calderwood’s initial apology in full
Here is the statement issued by Doctor Catherine Calderwood earlier today:
‘I wish to apologise unreservedly for the issue reported in the media today.
‘While there are reasons for what I did, they do not justify it and they were not legitimate reasons to be out of my home.
‘While I and my family followed the guidance on social distancing at all times, I understand that I did not follow the advice I am giving to others, and I am truly sorry for that.
‘I know how important this advice is and I do not want my mistake to distract from that.
‘I have a job to do as chief medical officer to provide advice to ministers on the path of this virus and to support the medical profession as they work night and day to save lives, and having spoken with the First Minister this morning I will continue to focus entirely on that job.’
‘It was clear to us yesterday she couldn’t be the face of the public advice campaign and we said she wouldn’t be.
‘I did hope that I could continue to call on her advice and expertise at this point in dealing with the pandemic continuity of advice from somebody who’s been immersed in this from the outset from the very outset was important.’
Ms Sturgeon added: ‘Her advice to me throughout this has been good, high quality advice.
‘It’s not okay, its not one rule for her and another for somebody else, I know how hard it is right now on a whole range of fronts and I don’t want anything to undermine that.
‘I’m very sorry that this situation has arisen I can’t stress that enough.’
In a statement last night, Dr Calderwood 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.’
Dr Calderwood will now work ‘over the next few days to ensure a smooth transition’ to her successor.
Ms Sturgeon has insisted she did not know about Dr Calderwood’s visits to the home, a drive of more than an hour from Edinburgh, until Saturday night.
The First Minister paid tribute to Dr Calderwood, saying she was a ‘transformational’ chief medical officer (CMO).
Scotland´s Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood (left) today issued a statement on live TV apologising for her behaviour
The images, published yesterday in the Scottish Sun, emerged amid continuing advice from the Scottish government to stay at home in order to save lives and protect the NHS
‘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.’
It comes after photographs, published in The Scottish Sun on Saturday, showed Dr Calderwood and her family near their coastal retreat in Earlsferry, Fife, over the weekend.
In the press conference, Dr Calderwood also admitted to visiting the cottage with her husband the previous weekend.
Dr Calderwood’s main home is just two-and-a-half miles from the Scottish Government building in Edinburgh, where she delivers daily briefings on the virus with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Earlsferry is 44 miles away from Edinburgh – a drive of around an hour.
A source for the Scottish Sun accused the doctor of ‘dangerous double standards’, while users of social media site, Twitter, have branded her actions as ‘ridiculous’ and embarrassing’.
The photographs prompted Police Scotland’s Chief Constable, Iain Livingston, to issue a statement today, in which he said that Dr Calderwood had been visited by officers and warned about her future conduct.
In a statement, Dr Calderwood described her actions as a ‘mistake’ and apologised ‘unreservedly’.
But this afternoon she took part in a press conference in which she read out a statement.
Speaking at the press conference, she said: ‘I have already issued a statement today apologising unreservedly for travelling away from my home while restrictions were in place.
‘As well as this weekend, it is important to be clear that was also there last weekend with my husband.
‘I did not follow advice I am giving to others. I am truly sorry for that.’
‘What I did was wrong. I am very sorry. It will not happen again.
‘I realise how important the advice is that I have issued, I do not want my mistake to distract from that.’
The images emerged amid continuing advice from the Scottish government, the chief medical officer herself, and other leading medical professionals to stay at home in order to save lives and protect the NHS.
It also comes just days after the 51-year-old tweeted a photo of her family from their main residence in Edinburgh as they clapped for the front-line NHS staff working to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Last month, the Scottish Government issued a travel warning criticising the ‘irresponsible behaviour’ of people with second homes and campervans travelling to the Highlands in a bid to isolate.
On Friday, the First Minister said the upcoming Easter break would be ‘a holiday period unlike any we’ve had in our lifetimes’.
Dr Calderwood, a trained consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, stressed people should adhere to the restrictions, and said it was looking less likely summer holidays will take place this year as they have done previously.
The incident has sparked criticism from Scottish Conservative leader, Jackson Carlaw MSP, who described Dr Calderwood’s position as ‘untenable’.
In a statement, posted on Twitter, he said: ‘Dr Calderwood’s position is very difficult, untenable even, given the damage this has caused public trust.
‘The vast majority of Scots are complying with official advice to stay at home and protect the NHS.
‘There cannot be one rule for the bosses and another for everyone else.’
But Ms Sturgeon resisted the calls initially, instead saying it was important that the government was ‘able to count on the continued expertise of the chief medical officer at this critical time’.
Speaking at the press conference, Ms Sturgeon said: ‘The chief medical officer made a mistake in travelling away from her home.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, pictured at the press conference, initially backed Dr Calderwood, but the medical officer resigned this evening
‘Whatever her reasons for doing so, she was wrong and she knows that.
‘It was not in line with the advice we are asking everyone to follow.
‘She has apologised unreservedly to me and to the public and she’s right to have done so.
She added: ‘What I also know is that over these past few weeks as we have been dealing with this crisis her advice and expertise has been invaluable to me and it continues to be so.
‘If I am to do what I need to do to steer the country through this crisis to the very best of my ability I need her to be able to focus on the job that she is doing — a job that, not withstanding her mistake on this, she is doing extremely well.’
Today the Scottish Government announced the latest Covid-19 figures, which show a total of 3,706 confirmed cases, up from 3,345 the previous day.
A total of 220 people have died from coronavirus in Scotland.
As of today, there have been 47,806 confirmed cases of Covid-19 across the UK.
A total of 4,934 people are known to have died from the virus.
A Scottish Government spokesman said on Saturday: ‘Since this start of this epidemic, the CMO has been working seven days a week preparing Scotland’s response.
‘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.
‘She stayed overnight before returning to Edinburgh.
‘In line with guidance, she stayed within her own household group and observed social distancing with anyone she was in passing in the village.’
This afternoon, Police Scotland issued a statement from its Chief Constable, Iain Livingston.
In the statement, he said: ‘Local officers have visited Dr Calderwood and spoke about her actions, reiterated crucial advice and issued a warning about her future conduct, all of which she accepted.
‘The legal instructions on not leaving your home without a reasonable excuse apply to everyone.
Police Scotland has issued a statement from its Chief Constable Iain Livingstone on Twitter today. In the statement, Mr Livingston said Dr Calderwood had been warned by officers
‘Social distancing is the key intervention to curtail the spread of coronavirus and it is essential the instructions are followed to protect each other, support key workers, take strain from the NHS, and save lives.
‘Individuals must not make personal exemptions bespoke to their own circumstances. It is vital that everyone adheres to these requirements.
‘Police officers and staff are putting themselves in harm’s way day and night to explain these instructions to our communities, encourage co-operation and, where necessary, enforce them.
‘I want to thank the overwhelming majority of people across the country who are doing their duty during this public health emergency.
‘Our fellow citizens are observing the guidance and making significant sacrifices and changes to their lifestyles and daily routines.
‘I am grateful for their continued support and co-operation during this critical period.’