Scotland’s Ex-Chief Medical Officer Permanently Excused from UK Covid Inquiry

Dr. Catherine Calderwood, who previously served as Scotland’s chief medical officer, will not be required to provide testimony to the UK Covid Inquiry due to health reasons. Dr. Calderwood, whose resignation occurred during the pandemic following her violation of lockdown regulations, had initially been granted a one-year deferral in December 2023, having been assessed as unable to give evidence at that time. Baroness Hallett, the inquiry’s chairwoman, who stated she had been kept regularly informed, has now issued a determination that permanently exempts Dr. Calderwood from participation. Baroness Hallett indicated that this decision could be re-evaluated should circumstances evolve. She further stated that she had “carefully considered the importance of Dr Calderwood’s evidence to the issues being investigated” during the subsequent phases of the inquiry. She noted that all central participants were given an opportunity to submit any additional comments by December 5. The chairwoman concluded: “Having reviewed the medical evidence provided to me and having received no observations from core participants, I am satisfied that Dr Calderwood should be excused from further participation in the inquiry.” Dr. Calderwood’s resignation from her role as chief medical officer occurred in April 2020, approximately two weeks following the implementation of the UK-wide lockdown on March 23. She had previously received a police caution for violating regulations by traveling twice with her family to her secondary residence in Earlsferry, Fife, a location situated over an hour’s drive from her primary home in Edinburgh. In her capacity as the former chief medical officer, she had appeared in television and radio advertisements, encouraging the public to remain at home to preserve lives and safeguard the NHS. In January 2021, Dr. Calderwood assumed the position of national clinical director for the Centre for Sustainable Delivery at the Golden Jubilee hospital in Clydebank, a role she occupied until the previous year. Subsequently, in September 2023, she was appointed as a professor of practice at the University of Strathclyde, and in May of the current year, she became a board member of Women in Sport, an organization dedicated to addressing inequality. In her academic capacity, she has co-authored several research papers, with the most recent one being released in August. Dr. Calderwood previously provided testimony during the initial phases of the inquiry in July 2023, where she indicated that Scotland’s interactions with scientific experts in London during the pandemic were impeded by inadequate technology. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.