Government sets out draft Covid-19 inquiry terms of reference

Government must be transparent in appointing Covid-19 inquiry members, say MPs

Lady Hallett is leading the public inquiry (PA Media)

The draft terms of reference for the Covid-19 inquiry have been published by the government.

The wide ranging terms of reference, published on Thursday, said the inquiry will examine the UK’s preparedness, public health response, intergovernmental decision making and the health and care sector response.

The Covid-19 Inquiry is to be chaired by former High Court judge Lady Hallett, and will begin in the spring.

The response of the health and care sector will include the management of the pandemic in hospitals, the use of “do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation” orders, the management of Covid in care homes and procurement of supplies including PPE.

The second aim of the inquiry will be to “learn lessons” and will cover the experiences of bereaved families, but will not investigate individual cases of harm or death in detail.

It will also look to highlight lessons for preparedness and response that could be useful for other civil emergencies.

The experiences of health and care workers, and disparities that were highlighted during the pandemic will also be examined.

The document said the inquiry would aim to produce reports and interim reports in a “timely manner”.

Responding to the draft terms of reference, the chief executive of NHS Providers, Chris Hopson, said: “Trust leaders will welcome the publication today of the draft terms of reference for the Covid inquiry.

“It is important and right that the inquiry scrutinises the impact of the pandemic in England, and the response of the health and care sector.

“We owe this to the families of those who lost loved ones, and the dedicated NHS staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic providing care in incredibly challenging circumstances, often putting themselves at personal risk and tragically in some cases, sacrificing their own lives.”

He said while there is much the NHS did well it is right to look at areas where there were major challenges such as access to PPE, testing and epidemiological modelling.

Layla Moran MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus, said: “It is welcome that the government has adopted many of the recommendations we have made, in particular those regarding the need for international comparisons, a commitment to publish an interim report, and applying findings to improve the UK’s pandemic preparedness.

“However, to ensure public confidence in this inquiry, it is imperative that the government is transparent in appointing its members, that the public consultation is broad and that crucially, findings from the interim report are delivered before the next general election.”