UK Covid-19 Inquiry

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry is an ongoing, independent public inquiry established to investigate the UK's response to, and the impact of, the Covid-19 pandemic. Chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, the inquiry aims to learn lessons for the future to improve preparedness for similar events. Launched in June 2022, the inquiry covers a wide range of topics including the government's preparedness for the pandemic, the effectiveness of lockdowns and other non-pharmaceutical interventions, the management of the pandemic in hospitals and care homes, the procurement of equipment, and the financial support made available.

The inquiry has a broad remit and has been designed to ensure that all aspects of the UK's response to the pandemic are thoroughly examined. This includes the decision-making processes of central and devolved governments, the role of scientific and medical advisors, the impact on health and social care services, and the economic and social consequences of the pandemic and the measures taken to control it.

The inquiry has adopted a module format to enable faster reporting and focused subject dives. These are as follows:

Completed modules

1. Resilience and preparedness

2. Core UK Decision-making and political governance

   1. Scotland

   2. Wales

   3. Northern Ireland

Active modules

3. Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare systems in the 4 nations of the UK

4. Vaccines and Therapeutics

5. Procurement

6. Care Sector

7. Test, Trace and Isolate

8. Children and Young People

9. Economic response

10. Impact on society

The inquiry is not the same as the devolved inquiries, although it does have common ground. The Scottish inquiry ( Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry) is reporting separately and has its own page on this site (here).

One of the key focuses of the inquiry is to understand the extent to which the UK's response was informed by scientific advice and evidence, and how effectively this advice was communicated to the public. The inquiry is also examining the preparedness of the UK for a pandemic, including the adequacy of the existing plans and the availability of resources such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators.

In addition to examining the actions of government and public authorities, the inquiry is also looking at the experiences of individuals, businesses, and organizations affected by the pandemic. This includes hearing testimonies from bereaved families, healthcare workers, and other frontline staff to understand the human impact of the pandemic and the measures taken to address it.

The inquiry is ongoing, and as it reports this page will update to help access its information and to act as a repository should the inquiry site become unavailable.