People’s COVID enquiry

The People’s Covid Inquiry, organised by Keep Our NHS Public, presents their finished report.

Last February, in the absence of a formal public inquiry into the pandemic, the Inquiry, chaired by the human rights barrister Michael Mansfield QC, stsrted looking into all aspects of the government’s handling of the pandemic.

Ministers must scrap plans for seven-day GP service, warns GPC chairman | GPonlineResponding to the recent publication of the Report, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said:

“This report makes clear that the NHS went into this pandemic woefully underprepared and under-resourced, and the only reason the health service was able to provide care and services at the level it did was because of the unwavering dedication of frontline workers who gave their all – including their lives.

“It is clear that the Government failed to properly plan for a pandemic, with the disastrous lack of PPE supplies leading to an inability to protect frontline staff being exposed to the virus without adequate protection

“Brutal cuts to public health services ……. over the last decade left the UK without adequate testing capacity resulting in the outsourcing of test and trace operations. This wasted £37 billion of taxpayers’ money on an ineffective system that failed to identify the spread of the virus. 

KEY FINDINGS INCLUDED:

1. The depleted state of the NHS and other public services prior to the pandemic was a determining factor in poor outcomes and led to avoidable deaths.

2. The government was poorly prepared for the pandemic and moved too slowly, which led to avoidable death.

3. The government adopted the wrong strategy leading to loss of life and growing mistrust in its advice.

4. The government’s poor record on inequalities has put the most vulnerable at risk from illness and death from Covid-19.

5. Misconduct in public office: There has been dismal failure in the face of manifestly obvious risks. 

What next?

As patients, it is more important than ever that we ensure we follow guidelines e.g. to wash hands, wear masks, etc., and do our bit to protect ourselves and the NHS.  The current lack of funding and staff shortages means the NHS would struggle to handle another pandemic;  through no fault of its own, it does not have the resources or manpower to handle another. 

To download full report go to :  https://36085122-5b58-481e-afa4-a0eb0aaf80ca.usrfiles.com/ugd/360851_62aeecaeb6944934b6c55d41708d7eeb.pdf