Ayrshire Covid conspiracy theory nurse quits profession months after suspension – Ayr Advertiser

Tracey McCallum, who worked at Crosshouse Hospital, gave radio and TV interviews and made online posts branding the national emergency a “scamdemic”, which led to her sacking by her employers at NHS24.

The 49-year-old was then suspended for 12 months last November by regulatory body, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), and warned that she could still be struck off once the ban had been completed.

Now McCallum has let her suspension lapse, meaning she will cease to be on the NMC register from the end of this year and will be unable to practice again. The decision came after McCallum requested an early review asking that she be removed, to which the NMC agreed.

Tracey McCallum (Image: Contributed) The NMC report said: “The panel determined that the public is suitably protected in allowing the current order to lapse as you will consequently fall off the register and therefore will not be able to practice.

“Further, the panel has made a finding of impairment which will be viewed by the NMC registrar if you ever seek to rejoin the register.

“The panel determined that allowing the order to lapse is the proportionate sanction to sufficiently protect the public and uphold professional standards.”

McCallum, who has 20 years of experience, made a number of posts on social media between 2020 and 2021 regarding the NHS and government response to the pandemic.

She worked for NHS24 from 2009 until her suspension in 2021 and subsequent dismissal.

Her conspiracy theory posts included: “I for one, am sick of hearing about tests and vaccines. They won’t help any of us if we get seriously unwell and it won’t help my 82-year-old dad.”

She also wrote “Vaccines are rushed through” and “They are treating us like gullible idiots”.

McCallum endorsed a post by Dr Vernon Coleman, who suggested masks were dangerous, and referenced another post which stated: “Doctors and nurses giving the Covid-19 vaccine will be tried as war criminals.”

At the height of the pandemic, McCallum appeared on ‘The Richie Allen Show’ and the ‘Shelley Tasker Podcast Show’ hosted by Cornwall Revolution Radio, in which she allegedly repeated anti-government, anti-mask and anti-vaccine views.

Crosshouse Hospital (Image: NQ) During the November disciplinary hearing, Isabella Kirwan of the NMC claimed patients were “placed at unwarranted risk of harm” from her comments.

In their 46-page judgement, the watchdog said: “We consider the misconduct serious because over a significant period Miss McCallum used her status as a registered nurse to widely promote health advice which was contrary to recommended practice and official health advice.

“Miss McCallum also encouraged members of the public to distrust or disregard official health advice.

“She promoted conspiracy theories unsupported by evidence and propagated the view that there was not a global Covid-19 pandemic, and that members of the nursing profession, other healthcare professionals, the government, and the World Health Organisation were complicit in genocide.

“The near consensus view of the scientific and medical community is that by advising contrary to official health and medical advice, this will place members of the public and others they encounter at risk of contracting Covid-19 and therefore at risk of serious harm.

“Her actions fall far short of the standards expected of a registered nurse.”