Catherine Calderwood | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Calderwood in 2020 | |
| Chief Medical Officer for Scotland | |
| In office 27 February 2015 – 5 April 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Aileen Keel (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Gregor Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Catherine Jane Calderwood (1968-12-26)26 December 1968 (age 56) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Newnham College, Cambridge University of Glasgow |
| Occupation | Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist |
Catherine Jane Calderwood (born 26 December 1968) is a Scottishconsultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, who has served as the National Clinical Director for Sustainable Delivery at theGolden Jubilee University National Hospital since 2021.[1] She previously served as theChief Medical Officer for Scotland from 2015 to 2020, having advised theScottish Government's initial response to theCOVID-19 pandemic in Scotland.[2][3]
Calderwood was born inBelfast, where she spent her early years, before moving to Scotland. After graduating fromNewnham College, Cambridge and then theUniversity of Glasgow, she worked inclinical medicine, while trainingobstetrics and gynaecology. She later moved to London to finish her training at theSt Thomas' Hospital. After finishing her training she worked inNHS Lothian. For nine years, Calderwood was a panel member on theMorecambe Bay Investigation, a commission by theUK's Health Department to investigate maternity and neonatal services atMorecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.
In 2013, she was appointed theScottish Government's senior medical officer for women's and children's health. From 2014 to 2015, Calderwood was alsoNHS England's national clinical director for maternity and women's health. Following the retirement ofSir Harry Burns asChief Medical Officer for Scotland (CMO), she was appointed Acting Deputy CMO for Scotland, a position she held until February 2015. Calderwood was appointed the CMO for Scotland shortly after. As one of Scotland's top medical advisors, she reported and advised the Scottish Government over theCOVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, Calderwood was forced to resign after she was caught breaking her department's own advice on COVID.
She returned to medical practice and in January 2021 was appointed the Executive National Clinical Director of Centre for Sustainable Delivery of Health and Social Care at theGolden Jubilee University National Hospital.
Calderwood was born inBelfast on 26 December 1968. She was the elder of two daughters of Lesley and James Calderwood. Her mother is apsychiatrist and her father is anorthopaedic surgeon.[4] She attended school atMethodist College, Belfast. She studied for a BA atNewnham College, Cambridge, graduating in 1990, and she went on to study clinical medicine at theUniversity of Glasgow, graduating withMB ChB in 1993.[2][5][6]
After working in hospital clinical medicine, Calderwood undertookobstetrics and gynaecology training in South East Scotland from 2001, and then further specialist clinical training atSt Thomas' Hospital, London in 2003–2004.[7] Since appointment in 2006, she has worked as a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with an interest in obstetric medicine inNHS Lothian. She has special interests inmaternal medicine,obstetric ultrasonography andhigh risk pregnancy.[8]
Calderwood is a Member of theRoyal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and is a Fellow of theRoyal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.[9]
Calderwood was an expert panel member on theMorecambe Bay Investigation, commissioned by theDepartment of Health to look into the maternity and neonatal services atMorecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust between January 2004 and June 2013.[10]
In March 2013, as theScottish Government's senior medical officer for women's and children's health, she helped launch Maternity Care Quality Improvement Collaborative.[11]
Calderwood wasNHS England's national clinical director for maternity and women's health 2014–2015.[12][13] and in this role promoted the first friends and family test in 2014.[14]
Calderwood was Acting DeputyChief Medical Officer in Scotland, supporting Aileen Keel who had been Acting Chief Medical Officer of Scotland from April 2014 following the retirement ofSir Harry Burns from the post in April 2014. In February 2015, Calderwood was announced as the new Chief Medical Officer of Scotland, succeeding Burns. She was influential introducing the principles of Realistic Medicine which promote shared decision making, reducing variation and innovation in healthcare and influence policy across Scotland and internationally.[15][16]
In April 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic in Scotland, Calderwood apologised for visiting her second home inEarlsferry,Fife, about 44 miles (71 km) from her home in Edinburgh, on consecutive weekends with her family, contravening the advice issued by herself in her high-profile role as Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, her own office, and the Scottish Government to stay at home and help limit the spread of the virus.[17][18][19] On 5 April 2020 she was visited at home by officers fromPolice Scotland and warned about her conduct.[17] In a government press conference later that day, she admitted she had visited her holiday home more than once during lockdown and apologised.[20] The most recent visit had been on 4 April 2020.[21]
Scottish Labour's shadow health secretary,Monica Lennon, called for Calderwood's resignation, saying "The CMO has undermined Scotland's pandemic response and if she doesn't offer her resignation the First Minister should sack her."[22]
On the afternoon of the 5 April 2020First MinisterNicola Sturgeon announced that Calderwood would be "withdrawing from media briefings for the foreseeable future" and explained that the government would be revising its public information campaign. Several hours later, on the evening of 5 April 2020, Calderwood resigned.[23] She issued this statement: "People across Scotland know what they need to do to reduce the spread of this virus and that means they must have complete trust in those who give them advice".[21][24]
The following morning, Sturgeon toldBBC Breakfast that she and Calderwood had had a "long conversation" on the evening of the 5 April. Sturgeon reported that as a result of this conversation she and Calderwood mutually agreed that Calderwood should stand down from being Chief Medical Officer for Scotland.[23][25]
Calderwood married Angus Loudon, executive director of the charitySt John Scotland, in September 2019 atSt Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.[26] Calderwood has three children.[2][4][14]
| Government offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Chief Medical Officer for Scotland 2014–2020 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
