Baroness Hallett formally launched the UK’s Covid-19 public inquiry
(Picture: PA)The chair of the Covid-19 public inquiry said Britain must prepare for another pandemic as she promised a “rigorous and fair” investigation into whether lives could have been saved.
Baroness Hallett delivered a speech to formally open the Covid public inquiry on Thursday morning, saying she has the power to demand evidence from organisations across the UK and would be “ruthless” in ensuring the hearings are conducted “as thoroughly and efficiently as possible”.
The first module of the inquiry – looking at how quickly the UK identified the risk of the pandemic and prepared for the impact – will be formally opened on September 20 with public hearings scheduled for late-Spring 2023.
The second module will focus on how the government and civil service responded to the first wave of Covid-19, including lockdowns, public communication, and use of scientific data. Hearings are set for next summer.
The third module announced by Baroness Hallett will turn attention to how the health services were impacted, as well PPE procurement, the vaccination programme, the Test and Trace system, the impact of long Covid, and how children and young people have been affected.
“Those who have suffered the most want to know if anything could have been done to prevent or reduce their suffering, and that’s why this inquiry has been established”, said Baroness Hallett, delivering her opening statement online.
“Where I make recommendations and reports to people or organisations, I expect them to consider and respond to them quickly, to ensure the UK is as prepared as it can be to respond to the next pandemic and protect the lives of its people.”
The chair said she has already spoke to bereveaed families during a public consultation about the impact on their lives, and how they coped with loss while under Covid restrictions.
“I will do my very best to undertake the inquiry in such a way that acknowledges this suffering and seeks to reduce the scope for others to suffer in the same way in the future”, she said, adding that we “ hope but cannot be certain that the worst effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are behind us and that another pandemic is not around the corner”.
The inquiry has been broken down into modules so that regular reports and recommendations can be delivered in stages.
Baroness Hallett said she is not waiting for the Prime Minister to appoint two additional panel members to the inquiry, while work is already underway to find scentific and economic expert to produce reports.
Later this year, a “listening exercise” will be conducted around the UK, for anyone who have suffered due to Covid to speak to the inquiry.
Baroness Hallett said these session will not be formal evidence hearings, but will help to inform the inquiry’s final conclusions.
“There are no restrictions on what people can tell the inquiry”, she said.
Baroness Hallett, who was poached from the Inquiry into the Novichok poisonings to lead the Covid-19 probe, accepted there is a “wide scope” of topics that need to be covered.
“I will need to be ruthless”, she said. “It is impossible to call every witness relating to every event, issue, or decision.
“I’m detemined to undertake and conclude the work of the inquiry as speedily as possible, so lessons are learned before another pandemic strikes.”
She added: “I won’t hesitate to make my views clear about any organisation or person who stands in the way of the inquiry performing its task.
Outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the inquiry in December last year, and set the terms of reference last month.
The inquiry is set to look at challenges faced by the UK’s tourist, retail, hospitality, and travel industries, the pandemic response for homeless people, victims of domestic abuse, prisoners and people in the justice system, and it will also take evidence on the way billions of pounds was spent on PPE.
