Catherine Calderwood's 'ride it out' WhatsApp message revealed at height of Covid lockdown

Scotland’s former chief medical offer resigned in 2020

Scotland's former chief medical officer hoped to “ride out" the storm after she was caught visiting her second home in a breach of Covid lockdown rules, WhatsApp messages have revealed.

Catherine Calderwood made the comment in a series of WhatsApp messages to senior colleagues while she was part of the leadership team that instructed Scots to stay at home to avoid spreading the virus in 2020.

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A senior figure in Scotland’s pandemic response, Ms Calderwood lost her job after being photographed visiting her holiday home in Earlsferry, Fife, twice in 2020 while fronting Covid adverts with the message: “Stay home, protect Scotland's NHS and save lives." This was when the whole of the UK was in a strict lockdown, banning the public from going outside without a “reasonable excuse". 

Now WhatsApp messages seen by the Scottish Sun reveal Ms Calderwood contacted her fellow chief medical officers — Sir Chris Whitty, Sir Jonathan Van-Tam and Dame Jenny Harries in England - after the story of her breach first emerged.

Scotland's then Chief Medical Officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, centre, looks on as Nicola Sturgeon gives a Covid briefing in March 2020 (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)Scotland's then Chief Medical Officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, centre, looks on as Nicola Sturgeon gives a Covid briefing in March 2020 (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Scotland's then Chief Medical Officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, centre, looks on as Nicola Sturgeon gives a Covid briefing in March 2020 (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

On Sunday, April 5, 2020, she texted: “To be aware. I had a few hours off, but this was clearly an error of judgement. I am issuing an apology now."

Sir Frank Atherton, the chief medical officer for Wales, responded: "Saw that earlier; worst of tabloid journalism. Don't let them get to you."

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Mr Van-Tam wrote: “Find it deeply dispiriting to hear of these kinds of things. You are doing a fantastic job."

Later that day, during a pandemic briefing on TV at which Nicola Sturgeon fielded questions on the breach, Ms Calderwood messaged the group, saying: “It's not good. Calls for me to resign. I will try to ride it out."

However, by 6:22pm, Ms Calderwood told the chief medical officers: "I may not manage to survive it I'm afraid." Her resignation was announced by the Scottish Government at 9.54pm.

Aamer Anwar, the lead solicitor for the Scottish Covid Bereaved group, said: "It is obscene hypocrisy that the most senior medical officers in the UK thought that Dr Calderwood should just 'ride out' her flouting of the rules."

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Willie Rennie, the Liberal Democrat MSP whose North East Fife seat includes Earlsferry, said: "Local people were making sacrifices, following all the advice of leaders– only to discover those leaders thought the advice didn't apply to them."

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