The UK Covid-19 Inquiry, chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, has issued its first report which deals with Module 1 - Resilience and Preparedness - Module 1 Report - UK Covid-19 Inquiry (covid19.public-inquiry.uk)
Module 1 Report - The resilience and preparedness of the United Kingdom - UK Covid-19 Inquiry (covid19.public-inquiry.uk) - 240 pp. (pdf)
The report has to be read in full and it speaks for itself. I am therefore avoiding either analysis or precis. In any event, this report is the first of several. Each "module" will be followed by its own report.
That said, Baroness Hallett notes
that the UK was "spared worse" by the individual efforts and dedication of many. Ultimately, the expert evidence suggests that they will be called upon again. It is not a question of' if' another pandemic will strike but 'when'."Unless the lessons are learned, and fundamental change is implemented, that effort and cost will have been in vain when it comes to the next pandemic.
There must be radical reform. Never again can a disease be allowed to lead to so many deaths and so much suffering." (Foreword the full report).
Official UK figures put the number of deaths involving Covid-19 in the four nations of the UK at over 225,000 by June 2023. Nothing on this scale has been seen in more than a century - (since the "Spanish 'flu epidemic of 1918-20 which killed some 228,000 people in the UK (see Table 1 - Full report).
Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK (covidfamiliesforjustice.org)
General Notes:
The Inquiry Chair was appointed in December 2021.
Following a public consultation, the Chair wrote to the Prime Minister (then Boris Johnson) to recommend changes to the draft Terms of Reference. The final Terms of Reference were received in June 2022.
Inquiry Hearings for Module 1 took place over 6 weeks in June - July 2023 - see dates and list of witnesses.
The report will be received by a new government (Labour) and by the UK's third Prime Minister since the resignation of Boris Johnson on 6 September 2022.
The present Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is Wes Streeting MP who is the 6th to hold that post since the resignation of Matt Hancock MP on 26 June 2021. Hancock was appointed to the post on 9 July 2018. He did not stand in the 2024 election and so is no longer an MP. Hancock's predecessor as Health Minister was Jeremy Hunt MP (who was re-elected in 2024). Hunt held the post for almost 6 years from 4 September 2012 to 9 July 2018.
Links:
United Kingdom COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer (worldometers.info)
Coronavirus Logs - this blog kept a "log" of events and media reports concerning Covid -
Law and Lawyers: Coronavirus Log Part 1 (December 2019 to 28 April 2020). (obiterj.blogspot.com)
to
Law and Lawyers: Coronavirus Log ~ Part 11 ~ from 19 July 2021 (obiterj.blogspot.com)
SCOTLAND
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