Scots nurse who pedalled ‘scamdemic’ Covid-19 conspiracy theories officially quits profession – Daily Record

A Scots nurse who pedalled “scamdemic” Covid-19 conspiracy theories has officially quit the profession.

Tracey McCallum, a nurse of more than 20 years from Ayrshire, was rapped by a professional standards watchdog after the Daily Record exposed her social media outbursts amid the pandemic.

The 49-year-old told us she stood by the content of her messages before comparing the vaccine rollout to “genocide” and went on to spout her views on digital radio shows and podcasts.

READ MORE: Schoolgirl’s body left on bedroom floor for nine hours as cops and ambulance “argued” over removal

READ MORE: Luke Mitchell parole hearing postponed after killer’s legal team request extra time

Now the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), who previously found her registration to be impaired, has decided to let her suspension lapse – meaning she will cease to be on the register from the end of the year and unable to practise again.

The decision came after McCallum requested an early review asking she be removed from the register.

A report said: “The panel determined that the public is suitably protected in allowing the current order to lapse as you will consequently fall off 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 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, Scotland’s provider of digital health and care services, from 2009 until her suspension in 2021 from Crosshouse Hospital.

McCallum described the global pandemic as a “scamdemic”, said that “giving the vaccine without proper testing is as good as genocide, like the holocaust” and that the government “created covert intelligence health bill – allows them to rape, murder, torture or anything else they feel like doing to us”.

When the Daily Record spoke to McCallum in November 2020 about her suspension she said speaking out was worth risking her job for.

The nurse defended claims that face masks were helping spread the virus and backed an anti-malaria drug taken by Donald Trump but dismissed by world health chiefs.

McCallum later went on The Richie Allen Show and Shelly Taskter Cornwall Revolution Show.

She described Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as wanting to “re-populate the world” through the vaccine and described the NMC as “corrupt”.

The NMC found her registration to be impaired in November and placed her on a 12 month suspension order.

They said it may be possible for her to return to nursing if she was to reengage with the watchdog and demonstrate “her

acceptance of the seriousness of the charges”. But at an early review requested by McCallum, a lawyer for the NMC said McCallum “cannot practice kindly, safely and professionally at this time”.

Isabella Kirwan said patients were “placed at unwarranted risk of harm” in that impressionable members of the public could have been deterred from seeking advice from healthcare professionals.

The report said: “Further, if members of the public were to act on the treatment suggested by you, they may have placed themselves at serious risk of harm.”

McCallum’s representative Chris Edwards said she had “demonstrated remorse” and reflected on her behaviour, with the exception of one matter – that her comments on the then untested vaccine were misinformation.

The NMC report said: “The panel acknowledged that you have freedom of expression including a right to your own beliefs and opinions. However, the panel considered it was the manner in which you expressed your beliefs which gave rise to the concerns rather than the beliefs themselves.

“The panel acknowledged that you have reflected on some of the comments and statements you previously made. However, the panel was not satisfied that you have fully reflected on your behaviour and demonstrated sufficient insight to mitigate the risks previously identified.”

McCallum’s suspension order will remain in place until it expires in December.

The NMC heard the former nurse has no intention of applying to be reinstated to the register and now works as a receptionist.