England’s chief medical officer owned up to experts’ ignorance of psychology. If only others had been so candid in admitting their errors
In 2002, Iain Duncan Smith notoriously declared: “Do not underestimate the determination of a quiet man.” It might have been a rather poor self-description, but it serves as a perfect representation of the chief medical officer for England, Chris Whitty.
For nearly two days he quietly answered questions put to him at the Covid inquiry; his tone uniformly reasonable, his demeanour consistently mild. Whitty’s former deputy Jonathan Van-Tam, who followed his erstwhile boss at the inquiry, summed him up perfectly at the inquiry. “I’m the one who chases the ball,” he said. “Chris is the one to look at the ball first and makes a more qualified and thoughtful decision about whether it was worth chasing.” So if ever Whitty should even amble ballwards, you know to take it very seriously indeed.
About Author
More Stories
Cancer experts warn of coffee enemas and juice diets amid rise in misinformation
Elon Musk shows he still has the White House’s ear on Trump’s Middle East trip
Millions in west do not know they have aggressive fatty liver disease, study says