The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) plays a critical role in shaping public health responses, especially during public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in the UK, the exact role of the CMO is not precisely defined in legislation. Patrick Fafard, Research Director of Public Health Institutions, worked alongside Katherine E Smith, Professor of Public Health Policy at the University of Strathclyde; Anna Macintyre, Senior Lecturer in Public Health at the University of Glasgow; and Margaret MacAulay, Research Fellow at the University of Ottawa, to explore how the CMO’s responsibilities vary across the four UK nations.
Through interviews with current, and former CMOs, as well as analyzing historical documents, their research found that the CMO role evolves to fit shifting policies, current contexts, and personal preferences. Although CMOs are meant to be an independent body providing impartial advice to the government of the day, the tension between acting as impartial advisors and communicating government policies can become especially complex in times of crisis.
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