THERE was anger yesterday after Prince Charles was seemingly allowed to leapfrog members of the public and desperate doctors to be tested for coronavirus by NHS Grampian.
It’s been confirmed that the monarch-in-waiting has contracted the bug. He is currently self-isolating in his Birkhall home on the Balmoral Estate.
It’s not entirely clear when the future king first displayed symptoms of Covid-19. He arrived in Scotland on Sunday, was tested on Monday, and received the result on Tuesday.
That’s fuelled speculation that he ignored Government advice and travelled north despite potentially being unwell.
NHS Scotland guidelines state that patients will only be tested for the disease if they “have a serious illness that requires admission to hospital.”
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Yet Charles was, according to Clarence House, only displaying “mild symptoms”, and Camilla, who was also tested, displayed no symptoms at all.
Taking to Twitter, one doctor wrote: “We as NHS doctors are being refused testing and have numerous colleagues self isolating.
“We are then unable to work and help people. This is an unjustifiable breach of NHS Scotland’s own protocol. Does this man truly merit testing when essential staff are being denied?”
NHS Grampian refused to comment.
In a statement, Clarence House said it was “not possible to ascertain from whom the prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks.”
However, his symptoms would have appeared just days after Prince Albert of Monaco tested positive for coronavirus.
The two royals had been seated opposite each other at an event in London on March 10.
READ MORE: Prince Charles isn't the first member of a royal family to contract Covid-19
The Prince’s office said: “The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual.
“The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus.
“In accordance with Government and medical advice, the rince and the duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing.”
The SNP MSP Joan McAlpine tweeted: “Wish @Charles_HRH a speedy recovery. But given that his symptoms are said to be mild, like many I wonder how he was tested when many NHS and social care workers cannot get tested.”
Nicola Sturgeon was asked about the prince pushing in front of the public.
She sent her “best wishes” to the next in line to the throne, but cited “patient confidentiality” before handing to Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood, who said she’d established from talking to NHS Grampian that “it’s clear he was tested for clinical reasons”.
Asked about Charles travelling to Scotland despite people being asked not flee to the Highlands, she refused to comment specifically on the prince, but added: “We want people to behave responsibly.”
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