{"id":413018,"date":"2026-02-07T14:08:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T14:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/413018\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T14:08:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T14:08:08","slug":"former-scottish-health-secretary-jeane-freeman-dies-aged-72-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/413018\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman dies aged 72"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman has died from cancer aged 72.<\/p>\n

Her family announced in a statement on Saturday that the MSP had been given an \u201cunexpected\u201d cancer diagnosis in January and died 25 days later.<\/p>\n

Ms Freeman served as cabinet secretary for health and sport from 2018 to 2021 and was also the Scottish National Party\u2019s MSP for the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency from 2016 to 2021.<\/p>\n

In 2018, she became cabinet secretary for health and sport, and led Scotland\u2019s health response to the Covid pandemic until her retirement in 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a statement, Ms Freeman\u2019s partner, Susan Stewart, said: \u201cJeane\u202fwas given\u202fan\u202funexpected diagnosis\u202fof incurable cancer \u202fon January 13, and we only had 25 days thereafter. \u202fDays which\u202fshe faced with enormous courage, care for others and love for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u202fwish\u202fto thank\u202fall the staff in the\u00a0QEUH\u202fwhose\u202fprofessional skill, care and sensitivity\u202fwere\u202fexceptional. We were both\u00a0very grateful\u202fand also\u00a0for the outpouring of love and concern from\u202fso many, across politics and beyond.\u202fBe kind to each other, that is what changes the world.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cJeane and I were partners for\u202fover\u202f25\u00a0years,\u00a0and I admired and supported her professional\u202fand public life.\u202fI am\u202fimmensely\u202fproud of her, not least her\u00a0latter volunteering\u00a0at the\u202fBeatson\u00a0Centre taking round the tea trolley, a job she loved.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it is the private Jeane\u202f\u2013 my soul mate and companion \u2013 who I will\u202fbe forever grateful to have had in my life.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was\u202fmy biggest\u202fsupporter \u2013 constantly encouraging\u202f-\u202fand also\u202ffun,\u00a0feisty\u202fand\u202fargumentative!\u202f\u202fMy life has been the better for her love.\u202fAnd I will miss her\u202fterribly.\u201d\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tributes<\/p>\n

First Minister John Swinney said he was \u201cshocked and saddened at her death\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cJeane devoted her life to serving the public, and I am shocked and saddened at her death.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn her long and varied career, Jeane always had people at her heart and had an unrelenting aim to improve people\u2019s lives. Working alongside her as a minister, I was always struck by her strong belief in the power of compassion and a desire for people to be treated always with dignity fairness, and respect \u2013 values she put at the heart of Scotland\u2019s first social security system.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAs health secretary during the Covid pandemic, she faced up to the biggest\u00a0public health\u00a0crisis\u00a0Scotland has ever seen and steered a course through an immensely\u00a0difficult time\u00a0for our country\u00a0and our health service, working tirelessly and acting throughout with honesty and selflessness.\u202f\u00a0\u202f\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI will miss her greatly, and my thoughts and deep condolences are with her partner, Susan and\u00a0wider\u00a0family, and her many friends.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nicola Sturgeon said Ms Freeman helped \u201csteer Scotland through the toughest of times\u201d.<\/p>\n

She said in a statement: \u201cWords can\u2019t even begin to convey how heartbroken I feel that Jeane Freeman has gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAs health secretary during Covid, she helped steer Scotland through the toughest of times. As well as bearing her own heavy responsibilities during that time, she helped me bear mine. I\u2019m not sure I could have got through it without her by side.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cJeane was an outstanding minister throughout the years she served in government, first in charge of Social Security and then as health secretary.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than any of that, though, to me Jeane was my friend \u2013 one of my best and closest. She was always there with a smile and a laugh, or a shoulder to cry on \u2013 whatever was needed. I loved her.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI last saw Jeane yesterday afternoon, and though it was clear she didn\u2019t have long left, she still wanted to know how I was and how I was feeling about leaving parliament soon. That was the measure of the woman.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSusan was the love of her life. Visiting Jeane in hospital over these last short weeks since her sudden diagnosis, I have been overwhelmed to witness Jeane\u2019s courage, Susan\u2019s strength and the bond of unconditional love between them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cJeane, I will miss you so much. Rest easy, my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former first minister Jack MacConnell said: \u201cJeane Freeman was one of my oldest friends. From her time as a student leader when we first met to becoming health secretary during a global pandemic, she never flinched in the service of those she represented.<\/p>\n

\u201cJeane was one of the most formidable public figures of her generation. She was ferociously clever, fired by a strong sense of justice and an enduring commitment to public service. Whatever role she was in, whether as head of Apex, a government adviser or in the cabinet, she gave everything.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was renowned for her strong opinions and work ethic, but she was never happier than when she was with her soulmate, Susan. Scottish public life is poorer without her, and I will always miss her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0UNISON Scotland head of health Matt McLaughlin\u00a0said: \u201cThis is incredibly sad news.<\/p>\n

\u201cJeane had a formidable understanding of the NHS and steered Scotland through the tough Covid months.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was a tough negotiator but always wanted the best for NHS staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur deepest condolences to Jeane\u2019s family, especially her partner, Susan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: \u201cJeane\u2019s passing brings me profound sadness.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs health secretary during the global pandemic, there can be little doubt that she bore the heaviest burden that anyone in that role has ever been asked to bear.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn those early days of Covid, she and I spoke almost every day and I was always struck by her inclusivity and her generosity with her time. Her decisive actions will have undoubtedly saved a lot of lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom her efforts to rehabilitate former offenders, to the delivery of a devolved social security agency, she always worked extremely hard in the service of the people of Scotland. For that she earned the respect and thanks of so many.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy thoughts are with Susan and her loved ones at this difficult time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Obituary<\/p>\n

\u202fJeane Freeman OBE was born in September 1953 in Ayr.<\/p>\n

After training as a nurse, she attended the Glasgow College of Technology to study sociology and politics, and in 1979 was\u00a0elected\u00a0as the first woman chair of the National Union of Students in Scotland.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 1987, she\u00a0established\u00a0Apex Scotland, a social enterprise\u00a0which worked with employers and ex-offenders, and\u00a0she was awarded an OBE for this work.<\/p>\n

Prior to entering politics, she has also served as a member of the Parole Board for Scotland, the Scottish Police Services Authority Board, as a Lay Member to the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland and was a member and then Chair of the Board of the National Waiting Times Centre. Jeane was awarded an OBE in 1996.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 1999, with the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Executive, Jeane was appointed as a Senior Civil Servant, and in 2001, she became a special adviser to the first minister, Jack MacConnell.<\/p>\n

After taking a leading role in the campaign group Women for Independence during the 2014 referendum, Jeane joined the SNP and was\u00a0elected\u00a0as MSP for Carrick Cumnock and Doon Valley from 2016 to 2021.<\/p>\n

Nicola Sturgeon appointed Jeane\u00a0immediately\u00a0as a Scottish Government minister, where, as minister for social security, she\u00a0established\u00a0the creation of a\u00a0new Social Security Service for Scotland. In 2018, she became cabinet secretary for Health and Sport, meaning she led on Scotland\u2019s health response to the Covid pandemic until her retirement in 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the last few years, Jeane\u00a0took up\u00a0part-time\u00a0positions at both Glasgow\u00a0and Queen Margaret Universities, the latter of which\u00a0awarded her as\u00a0an honorary professor; she\u00a0also volunteered at the Beatson\u00a0Cancer\u00a0Centre.\u00a0<\/p>\n

STV News is now on WhatsApp<\/p>\n

Get all the latest news from around the country<\/p>\n

Follow STV News <\/a>Follow STV News on WhatsApp<\/p>\n

Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country<\/p>\n

\"WhatsApp<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Former Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman has died from cancer aged 72. Her family announced in a statement…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":413019,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[59,57,58,50,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-413018","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-kingdom","8":"tag-gb","9":"tag-great-britain","10":"tag-greatbritain","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom","14":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=413018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413018\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/413019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=413018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=413018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=413018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}