Scottish CMO apologises for not following her own advice

Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood has apologised after being photographed at her second home in Earlsferry, Fife.

Earlsferry is some 44 miles from her primary Edinburgh home. In a statement published on Twitter, this morning Dr Calderwood has apologised for her ‘mistake’ and said that the reasons for making the journey ‘were not legitimate reasons’.

She will continue in her role.

Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood said:

“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 to provide advice as Chief Medical Officer to provide advice to ministers on the path of this virus and to support the medical profession as they work hard night and day to save lives, and having spoken with the First Minister this morning I will continue to focus entirely on that job.”