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Catherine Calderwood to give evidence to UK Covid inquiiry Jeane Freeman to give evidence to UK Covid inquiry
(about 11 hours later)
Scotland's former chief medical officer, who quit after breaching her own Covid lockdown rules, is to give evidence to the UK inquiry into the handling of the pandemic. Jeane Freeman has said she regrets the decision to move hospital patients to care homes without being tested when the pandemic began
Dr Catherine Calderwood will be joined at the inquiry on Wednesday by Jeane Freeman, who was the Scottish health secretary throughout lockdown. Scotland's former health secretary is to give evidence to the UK inquiry into the handling of the pandemic.
Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney will both give evidence on Thursday. Jeane Freeman will face questions from the inquiry on how prepared the Scottish government was for the pandemic.
She was supposed to be have been joined by Dr Catherine Calderwood, the country's former chief medical officer.
But Dr Calderwood, who quit after breaking her own Covid lockdown rules, will now give evidence on another day.
Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney will both appear before the inquiry on Thursday.
The inquiry was set up to examine the UK's response to the virus.The inquiry was set up to examine the UK's response to the virus.
It will also look into the impact of the pandemic and the lessons that can be learned for future virus outbreaks, with public hearings expected to continue until 2026.
A separate Scottish inquiry that will look specifically at the impact of the virus north of the border has been hit by delays after its original chairwoman quit for personal reasons and four members of the inquiry's legal team also stood down.
Calderwood resigns over coronavirus lockdown tripsCalderwood resigns over coronavirus lockdown trips
What is the UK Covid inquiry and how long will it take?What is the UK Covid inquiry and how long will it take?
CThe UK pandemic in numbersCThe UK pandemic in numbers
Dr Calderwood resigned as chief medical officer in April 2020 - two weeks after the UK-wide lockdown was imposed on 23 March. It will also look into the impact of the pandemic and the lessons that can be learned for future virus outbreaks, with public hearings expected to continue until 2026.
She had been given a police warning for breaking the rules by making two trips to her second home in Earlsferry in Fife with her family. A separate Scottish inquiry that will look specifically at the impact of the virus north of the border has been hit by delays after its original chairwoman quit for personal reasons and four members of the inquiry's legal team also stood down.
The property was more than an hour's drive from her main home in Edinburgh. Ms Freeman served as Scotland's health secretary between 2018 and May 2021, when she stood down as an MSP ahead of the Scottish Parliament election.
The chief medical officer had fronted TV and radio adverts urging the public to stay at home to save lives and protect the NHS, and took part in daily televised media briefings alongside Nicola Sturgeon. Ms Freeman has said that the UK-wide lockdown was an "absolute necessity" in the early stages of the pandemic, but has admitted she regrets that the Scottish government discharged so many hospital patients into care homes without being tested for the virus.
Dr Calderwood regularly appeared alongside Nicola Sturgeon in live TV briefings in the early stages of the pandemic Allow Twitter content?
Ms Sturgeon, the country's first minister at the time, initially said she wanted Dr Calderwood to remain in her post - but she decided to stand down to avoid being a "distraction" from efforts to persuade the public to follow social distancing guidance. This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
In her resignation statement, Dr Calderwood said she was "deeply sorry for my actions and the mistakes I have made". She will be followed on Thursday by Ms Sturgeon and the former deputy first minister Mr Swinney, who will face questions about the preparations the Scottish government had in place for dealing with a pandemic.
She was given another senior role within the NHS a year later when she was appointed as the national clinical director of the new Centre for Sustainable Delivery at the Golden Jubilee hospital in Clydebank.
The role was reported to come with a salary between £85,000 and £112,000.
Dr Calderwood was previously a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist. She had been appointed as the country's chief medical officer in 2015.
She will give evidence to the inquiry on Wednesday along with Ms Freeman, who served as Scotland's health secretary between 2018 and May 2021, when she stood down as an MSP ahead of the Scottish Parliament election.
Jeane Freeman has said she regrets the decision to move hospital patients to care homes without being tested when the pandemic began
Ms Freeman has previously defended the UK-wide lockdown as an "absolute necessity" in the early stages of the pandemic, but has admitted she regrets that the Scottish government discharged so many hospital patients into care homes without being tested for the virus.
They will be followed on Thursday by Ms Sturgeon and her former deputy Mr Swinney, who will face questions about the preparations the Scottish government had in place for dealing with a pandemic.
Both are expected to appear before the inquiry again in the future.Both are expected to appear before the inquiry again in the future.
Lawyers representing Scottish bereaved families have made legal submissions to the inquiry calling for all of Ms Sturgeon's unredacted WhatsApp messages and other relevant materials to be provided. Lawyers representing Scottish bereaved families have been calling for all of Ms Sturgeon's unredacted WhatsApp messages and other relevant materials to be provided to the inquiry.
On Tuesday, the UK's former health secretary Matt Hancock criticised the country's pandemic planning ahead of Covid, saying it was too focused on dealing with deaths rather than averting them, when he gave his first evidence to the inquiry.On Tuesday, the UK's former health secretary Matt Hancock criticised the country's pandemic planning ahead of Covid, saying it was too focused on dealing with deaths rather than averting them, when he gave his first evidence to the inquiry.
About 227,000 people died in the UK with Covid listed as one of the causes on their death certificate - including more than 17,000 in Scotland - after the first cases were detected early in 2020.About 227,000 people died in the UK with Covid listed as one of the causes on their death certificate - including more than 17,000 in Scotland - after the first cases were detected early in 2020.
More than 44 million people were estimated to have caught the virus by February 2022.More than 44 million people were estimated to have caught the virus by February 2022.
What is the Covid Inquiry?What is the Covid Inquiry?
It is about going through what happened and learning lessonsIt is about going through what happened and learning lessons
No-one will be found guilty or innocentNo-one will be found guilty or innocent
Any recommendations made do not have to be adopted by governmentsAny recommendations made do not have to be adopted by governments
The inquiry has no formal deadline but is due to hold public hearings until 2026The inquiry has no formal deadline but is due to hold public hearings until 2026
Scotland is holding a separate inquiry in addition to the wider UK oneScotland is holding a separate inquiry in addition to the wider UK one
Related TopicsRelated Topics
Coronavirus public inquiryCoronavirus public inquiry
Coronavirus lockdown measuresCoronavirus lockdown measures
Scottish governmentScottish government
Nicola SturgeonNicola Sturgeon
NHS ScotlandNHS Scotland
Catherine CalderwoodCatherine Calderwood