Elizabeth Quigley, journalist and wife of Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney, has left BBC Scotland on health grounds after developing trigeminal neuralgia alongside multiple sclerosis. She said the condition can cause severe facial pain and sometimes prevents her from speaking, eating or drinking, making broadcasting difficult.

Quigley was diagnosed with MS in 2000 and joined BBC Scotland in 1999, becoming the first female correspondent at the new Scottish Parliament. The 54-year-old has worked in print, radio and television, including documentaries on MS, and has used crutches, a rollator and sometimes a wheelchair as her condition progressed; Swinney said reducing work-related stress had helped her regain strength.