Chief Medical Officer has lost credibility
The Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood cannot continue to credibly front public health messages during the coronavirus crisis, the Scottish Greens have said.
The comments come after the CMO was pictured visiting her second home in north east Fife, flouting her own guidelines on non-essential travel.
Scottish Greens health spokesperson Alison Johnstone said:
“This is irresponsible from the Chief Medical Officer and undermines the hard work she and her team have undoubtedly been doing during this crisis. She has admitted the reasons for her travelling to her second home were ‘not legitimate’.
“While the majority of people have adhered to the strict guidelines to stay at home, put in place to keep us safe, there are still sadly too many people getting out and about. If that is to improve we need clear leadership from those at the top, and that includes setting an example. Unfortunately, Ms Calderwood can no longer credibly front the public campaign”
Scottish Greens MSP for mid Scotland and Fife, Mark Ruskell, said:
“Travel restrictions will help protect rural places with stretched health services and elderly populations such as the East Neuk, but only if they are stuck to. It’s vital people from Edinburgh and elsewhere do not use this incident as an excuse to place others in danger.
“The advice is to stay at home. That means stay at home, not switch between holiday homes or campervans as the mood suits. The Scottish Government must underline this advice and move on, not make excuses for the CMO who has now rightly apologised.”