First Minister pays tribute to Jeane Freeman

9 Feb 2026 11:14 AM

Tribute to former Health Secretary.

Following the announcement of the death of former Health Secretary Jeane Freeman, First Minister John Swinney recently said:

“Jeane devoted her life to serving the public, and I am shocked and saddened at her death. 

“In her long and varied career, Jeane always had people at her heart and had an unrelenting aim to improve people's 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 – values she put at the heart of Scotland’s first social security system.  

“As Health Secretary during the Covid pandemic, she faced up to the biggest public health crisis Scotland has ever seen and steered a course through an immensely difficult time for our country and our health service, working tirelessly and acting throughout with honesty and selflessness.     

"I will miss her greatly, and my thoughts and deep condolences are with her partner Susan and wider family, and her many friends." 

Background 

Jeane Freeman OBE was born in September 1953.

In 1987 Jeane established Apex Scotland, a social enterprise which worked with employers and ex-offenders, and she was awarded an OBE for this work. Jeane also held a variety of board roles.

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.

Jeane was elected as MSP for Carrick Cumnock and Doon Valley from 2016 to 2021. She served as the Scottish Government Minister for Social Security from 2016 to 2018, when she became Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport where she led on Scotland’s health response to the Covid pandemic until her retirement in 2021.

In the last few years, Jeane took up part time positions at both Queen Margaret University and the University of Glasgow.