Deputy steps up to ‘take the reins’
THE Deputy Chief Medical Officer will ‘take over the reins’ in leading the fight against coronavirus following his former boss’s resignation.
Dr Gregor Smith will replace Dr Catherine Calderwood as an interim Chief Medical Officer (CMO) while Nicola Sturgeon looks to appoint a permanent successor.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman yesterday praised Dr Smith, branding him ‘very capable’.
He appeared alongside the First Minister and Miss Freeman in the daily coronavirus briefing from St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh.
Dr Smith, a GP, led the development of a quality framework for general practice in Scotland and was appointed Deputy Chief Medical Officer in 2015. Miss Sturgeon said his appointment would allow ‘as much continuity of advice as possible’ until a permanent successor is found.
She said: ‘Gregor has been integrally involved in the development of our response so far, but of course we continue to take a wide range of advice from different scientific expertise and it’s important that continues.
‘The consideration of a longer-term replacement will happen as soon as we get to a point in the development of the virus that we think we’ve got the ability to consider that properly.’
Using his official Twitter account, Dr Smith has previously shared a number of posts relating to Scottish independence.
One, from January 2014, references a BBC article titled ‘Cameron again rejects Salmond TV debate challenge’. Dr Smith said in his tweet: ‘Wondered what Cameron is scared of…’
Miss Freeman said: ‘Dr Smith will take over the reins at this point. What happens as we go through the rest of the day and into the week will be for the First Minister to determine. But certainly, Dr Smith is very capable.’