Statement regarding First Minister at U.K. Covid Inquiry

Yesterday, Cass Macdonald, co-founder, along with Brenda Eadie, member, of the Keyworker Petition Campaign attended the U.K. Covid Inquiry as it sat in Edinburgh to hear what the First Minister, Humza Yousaf, had to say. We attended with two members of Long Covid Scotland, representing Scotland’s wider Long Covid Community.

We were incredibly disappointed that Mr Yousaf did not acknowledge the Long Covid community in any way, although he rightly apologised twice to the Scottish Covid Bereaved Families, represented by Mr Aamer Anwar. In fact, this was quite upsetting to us.

During the evidence session, we learned that following his 2021 appointment to the post of Cabinet Secretary for Health, Mr Yousaf did not convene the expert scientific group as frequently as it had been before, leaving us to have questions about how up-to-date the science being used to form decisions was. We feel as well that public health messaging did not inform people of the consequences of Covid infection nor the potential severity of Long Covid as a risk. We are all very clear that Mr Yousaf and others gave far too much importance to vaccination as an only mitigation, as well as demonstrate a critical lack of understanding on what vaccinations do, which may be in part in relation to advice given. This is a serious error, in our opinion. 

We heard and read frankly shocking excerpts from various social media messaging and other documents. We learned that certain parts of the public sector were not ready for the pandemic just days before lockdown was declared, leading us to believe this could be symptomatic of the public sector at large. There was a great deal of nodding to Westminster in terms of decision making, although certain public bodies in Scotland, such as public health, health and social care and education are devolved.

We remain convinced that too little was done, far too late. We also believe that what measures that did exist were removed too soon; in that we mean that improved mitigations, such as HEPA or UV air purification, were not in place to ensure reduced spread of Covid - or indeed other respiratory infections - across multiple sectors. We believe that advice may have been ignored, but we also question not only what advice was being given but perhaps more importantly how that advice was being communicated by Professor Leitch and others.

It was a disappointing session, bogged down in discussion over WhatsApp messaging and leaves us with more questions than answers. What we are learning is that the U.K. Governments do not have appeared to learn any lessons from the pandemic in order to prevent future ones as rising numbers of Long Covid show.

Cass Macdonald, former nurse, 48 said: “I am disappointed, but not surprised. Even in March 2020, Scotland was not prepared. I’m angry at the lack of acknowledgement of the sacrifice of Keyworkers, many of who have experienced severe consequences of their Covid infection.”

Both Brenda and Cass were pleased to represent the Keyworkers with occupational Long Covid at the hearing.

ENDS