SCOTLAND'S Chief Medical Officer has been axed from her public-facing role in the coronavirus crisis after admitting breaching lockdown rules by travelling to her second home in Fife on two consecutive weekends.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Dr Catherine Calderwood would still be providing the Scottish Government with medical advice on coronavirus.

But she will not front media briefings and the current public information campaign featuring the CMO is in the process of being withdrawn.  The Scottish Government confirmed the revised campaign will not feature Dr Calderwood.

Dr Calderwood, who apologised "unreservedly" and said she would continue to focus on her job, has been facing mounting criticism after pictures of her family trip to Earlsferry were published in a national newspaper on Sunday.  At a press conference she admitted that she had twice been to her second home in consecutive weekends.

Police Scotland confirmed that the top medical adviser to the Scottish government had been given a warning by police after ignoring social distancing guidelines.

Ms Sturgeon said: “I am acutely aware of the importance of public trust in the advice the government is giving to stay at home in order to save lives and protect our NHS. To maintain that trust we will be revising our public information campaign and the Chief Medical Officer will be withdrawing from media briefings for the foreseeable future."

READ MORE: Coronavirus: the decade-old warnings about unpreparedness and mass testing left unheeded

She will continue to provide the Scottish Government with the scientific and medical advice on the spread of Coronavirus."

Ms Sturgeon earlier said she does not condone anyone breaking the guidance on preventing the spread of the virus, but added it would be “damaging not to have the ongoing advice and expertise” of Dr Calderwood as chief medical officer.  

"I could not do my job as well as I am seeking to do my job without the continued advice and medical expertise that the CMO brings to this. And that is not in any way trying to diminish the seriousness of this. That is the wider point I am trying to ask people to understand."

 

This video is expected to be withdrawn.

In an often fiery press conference, Nicola Sturgeon said she was sticking with the CMO saying: "I am not expecting you not to be angry about this mistake.  And nor is she. But I am asking you to consider the wider importance to the government and by extension the country by being able to count on the continued expertise of the CMO."

The First Minister added: "All of us including me will make mistakes, in these unprecedented times we are living in. When we do we must be candid about it and then learn from it. That is what the CMO is doing."

Ms Sturgeon said she did not know about Dr Calderwood’s visits to her second home until Sunday night.

There had been calls for Dr Calderwood to step down over the matter with MSPs describing her position as "untenable".

But the First Minister said her resignation is not in the country's interest saying: "She is in the position of being immersed in this from the start. Bringing someone else in right now would in my view not be the best thing for the government and me."

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone confirmed that local officers spoke to Dr Calderwood earlier on Sunday.

He said they 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," he said.

"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."

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.

Ms Calderwood said: "This was a mistake. I have spoken to the police about this and I am sorry for taking up their time on this when it could have been avoided.

""I have heard the comments. What I did was wrong. I am very sorry. It won't happen to again."

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