Overview
- A public thanksgiving service was held in Bute Hall following a private cremation, with the ceremony livestreamed for remote viewers.
- More than 400 attendees from politics, the arts and health care were present, including First Minister John Swinney, Nicola Sturgeon and Anas Sarwar.
- Partner Susan Stewart described their 25 years together, thanked NHS staff and confirmed the timeline from a January 13 cancer diagnosis to Freeman’s death on February 7.
- Close friend Mike Russell said her work changed lives, citing her role in creating Scotland’s social security service and guiding the NHS through the Covid pandemic.
- Freeman was a former nurse and MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley who served as health secretary from 2018 to 2021, later taking a part‑time dean role at the University of Glasgow, with Holyrood paying formal tributes earlier in the week.