Scottish Government COVID-19 Advisory Group

Overview

The Scottish Government COVID-19 Advisory Group held its last meeting on 3 February 2022. This group is no longer active

Scottish Ministers, the Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Chief Medical Officer in Scotland, in consultation with the Chief Scientific Advisor for Scotland have identified the need for additional scientific analysis of the impact of COVID-19 in Scotland, based on regularly updated advice and modelling from the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), and other emerging scientific evidence.

The Scottish Government COVID-19 Advisory Group will be a time limited expert group chaired by Professor Andrew Morris, Professor of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and Director of Health Data Research UK. He will be supported by vice chair, Professor David Crossman, Dean of Medicine at the University of St Andrews and Chief Scientist (Health) at the Scottish Government.

The advisory group will consider the scientific and technical concepts and processes that are key to understanding the evolving COVID-19 situation and potential impacts in Scotland. The advisory group will apply the advice coming to the four nations from the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE) and other appropriate sources of evidence and information and use it to inform local decisions in Scotland during the pandemic.

The group will support Scottish Ministers and senior clinical advisers to:   

• interpret SAGE outputs and other emerging scientific evidence in the context of Scotland
• provide expert advice spanning the disciplines of public health, clinical advice, epidemiology, virology, behavioural sciences, global health, medicine and statistical modelling
• inform NHS and Social Care mobilisation and planning guidance in Scotland
• relay relevant information and questions from Scottish Government to SAGE and SPI-M-O
• support the Scottish Government Covid-19 Analysis Division headed by the Chief Researcher
• advise Scottish Government, SGHSC Directorates, and COVID-19 Corporate Analytical Hub on strategic approach to identifying, accessing and using data to support our understanding and response to COVID-19 in Scotland
• develop links with other SG COVID-19 Advisory Groups as appropriate.
• maintain close engagement with SAGE

The Scottish Government COVID-19 Corporate Analytical Hub applies the modelling assumptions supplied by SAGE to produce modelling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland. This modelling informs the mobilisation and planning of resources across Health and Social Care.

The Group will report through the office of the CMO in the first instance.

The Group will usually meet every two weeks for two hours on a Thursday. The meeting schedule will be subject to change.

Members are public health experts, clinicians and academics spanning the disciplines of epidemiology, virology, public health, behavioural sciences, global health, medicine and statistical modelling.

Membership will be kept under review.

Members

• Professor Andrew Morris (Chair)
• Chief Scientist (Health), Scottish Government
• Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland, Scottish Government
• Chief Medical Officer, Scottish Government
• Deputy Chief Medical Officers, Scottish Government
• Professor Chris Robertson, University of Strathclyde
• Professor Mark Woolhouse , University of Edinburgh
• Professor Jill Pell, University of Glasgow
• Dr Jim McMenamin, Public Health Scotland
• Professor Tom Evans, University of Glasgow
• Professor Steven Reicher, University of St Andrews
• Professor Aziz Sheikh, University of Edinburgh and Scottish Science Advisory Council
• Professor Devi Sridhar, University of Edinburgh
• Professor Jacqui Reilly, Glasgow Caledonian University and NHS National Services Scotland
• Professor Linda Bauld, Chief Social Policy Adviser, Scottish Government
• Professor Sir Harry Burns, University of Strathclyde
• Professor Nick Hopkins, University of Dundee
• Dr Audrey MacDougall, Chief Social Researcher Scottish Government
• Professor Nick Phin, Public Health Scotland

Sub-groups

Read the minutes and papers from meetings of the Advisory Sub-Group on Public Health Threat Assessment

Read the minutes and papers from meetings of the Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children’s Issues

Read the minutes and papers from meetings of the Advisory Sub-Group on Universities and Colleges

Read the minutes and papers from meetings of the COVID-19 Nosocomial Review Group

Minutes

Published minutes of the Covid-19 Advisory Group are available at: Scottish Government COVID-19 Advisory Group: minutes.

Evidence papers

Evidence and research considered by Advisory Group members is available at: Scottish Government COVID-19 Advisory Group: evidence papers.

Publications

Scottish Government COVID-19 Advisory Group: terms of reference