COVID-19 Clinical Guidance: Recommendations to Chief Medical Officer

The Commission has today written to Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer providing comments and recommendations in relation to the COVID-19 Clinical Guidance published on 3^rd April. We welcome the opportunity to be able to comment on the guidance in appreciation of the fact that it has been produced rapidly and continues to evolve.

During the passage of COVID-19 emergency legislation we called for an ethical framework for both health and social care in Scotland which sets out ethical and human rights-based principles to guide decision-making. See our briefing. 

We believe that the clinical guidance would be significantly enhanced by explicit consideration of and reference to human rights standards and principles, which legally underpin the duties on those on the frontline tasked with making difficult decisions at this time. We have set out a range of specific comments and recommendations in this regard.

Read our full submission to the Chief Medical Officer.

ENDS