Former Scottish Health Officials to Give Evidence in UK Inquiry into COVID-19 Pandemic

She resigned in 2020 after breaking her own COVID lockdown rules, and will be joined at the inquiry by Jeane Freeman, the former Scottish health secretary.

Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney, the country's former first minister and deputy, will also give evidence on Thursday.

The inquiry aims to examine the UK's response to the virus and the impact it had, with public hearings expected to continue until 2026.

A separate Scottish inquiry into the pandemic's impact has been delayed after its original chairwoman resigned and four members of the legal team stood down.

The UK-wide lockdown was deemed an "absolute necessity" by Jeane Freeman, but she has also regretted discharging hospital patients into care homes without testing them for the virus.

Matt Hancock, the UK's former health secretary, criticised the country's pandemic planning ahead of Covid, saying it was too focused on dealing with deaths rather than preventing them.

The UK inquiry has received legal submissions from Scottish bereaved families calling for all of Ms. Sturgeon's unredacted WhatsApp messages and other relevant materials to be provided.

The COVID Inquiry is an investigation into the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the UK.

The inquiry aims to understand what happened and learn lessons from the experience.

It is not focused on assigning blame or determining guilt, and any recommendations made are not legally binding.

The inquiry has no set deadline but is expected to hold public hearings until 2026.

In addition, Scotland is conducting its own separate inquiry.