Update 13 December 2023
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has opened Module 6 of its investigations, which relates to the UK Care Sector, with public hearings planned for Spring 2025. More details are included in the Inquiry’s provisional scope for Module 6.
Module 6 will investigate the impact of the pandemic on the publicly and privately funded adult social care sector in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It will consider the consequences of government decision-making – including restrictions imposed – on those living and working within the care sector, as well as decisions concerning capacity in hospitals and residents in adult care and residential homes.
The Module will also address the steps taken in adult care and residential homes to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and examine the capacity of the adult care sector to respond to the pandemic.
The early stages of Module 6 concern applications for Core Participant status and preliminary hearings on the running of the Inquiry.
Module 2 Hearings
Rishi Sunak MP (Prime Minister).
Press articles: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/11/deeply-sorry-what-rishi-sunak-said-to-the-covid-inquiry
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67681600
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/12/12/rishi-sunak-covid-inquiry-science-lockdown-whitty-vallance/
The Inquiry hears closing statements from Core Participants on 13 December and 14 December, before Module 2 closes. Livestream.
Hearings - Scotland (Module 2A) take place from 16 January 2024.
Update 8 December 2023
Boris Johnson (Former Prime Minister)
Press articles:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67646548
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/06/boris-johnson-at-the-covid-inquiry-key-takeaways
Update 1 December 2023
This week, the following leading figures gave evidence to the Inquiry:
Mayors Andy Burnham, Sadiq Khan and Steve Rotherham
Press article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67546039
Michael Gove MP (Former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster)
Press article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67557477
Professor Dame Jenny Harries (Former Deputy Chief Medical Officer; Chief Executive of UKHSA)
Press article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/jenny-harries-nhs-people-sajid-javid-covid-b2455450.html
Professor Dame Jenny Harries
Sajid Javid MP (Former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)
Press article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/sajid-javid-dominic-cummings-covid-inquiry-raab-b2455536.html
Dominic Raab MP (Former Deputy Prime Minister; Former Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs)
Press article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67570491
Hearing 30 November
Hearing 1 December
Matt Hancock MP (Former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)
Press articles: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/matt-hancock-patrick-vallance-jonathan-vantam-downing-street-ppe-b2456343.html
https://www.ft.com/content/f46183c5-d9c3-4b36-b8a6-856529d9c381
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/11/30/matt-hancock-evidence-covid-inquiry-dominic-cummings/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/12/01/covid-inquiry-uk-latest-news-matt-hancock-day-2/
The former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson MP, is due to give evidence on 6 and 7 December 2023. Livestream.
Update 20 November 2023
Further leading figures advising the Government in the pandemic are giving evidence this week to the main Inquiry, including Sir Patrick Vallance, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, Professor Dame Angela McLean and Kemi Badenoch MP. Livestream hearings. BBC News are live reporting.
Hearings, evidence and transcripts are included in the hearing links:
Sir Patrick Vallance
Press article: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/20/what-we-learned-from-patrick-vallance-at-the-covid-inquiry
Professor Sir Chris Whitty
Professor Sir Chris Whitty
Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam
Press article: https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/five-things-learned-jonathan-van-tam-covid-inquiry-2772105
Professor Dame Angela McLean
Press article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/angela-mclean-government-dame-boris-johnson-mayor-b2452414.html
Kemi Badenoch MP
In the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry, Health and Social Care Impact Hearings, which began on 24 October 2023, continue. More from Hearings and presentations | Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry.
Update 10 November 2023
This week more key figures, special advisers and senior government officials gave evidence to the Inquiry. Selected hearings, witness statements and press articles are below:
Clare Lombardelli (Former Chief Economic Adviser, HM Treasury)
Stuart Glassborow (Former Deputy Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister)
Dr Ben Warner, former Special Adviser
- Witness Statement of Clare Lombardelli, former Chief Economic Adviser, HM Treasury, dated 22/08/2023
- Witness Statement of Stuart Glassborow, dated 11/10/2023
- Witness Statement of Ben Warner, former Special Adviser, dated 08/09/2023
Press articles:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/11/06/covid-inquiry-uk-live-latest-updates/ (contains strong language)
Simon Ridley (Former Head of Cabinet Office Covid-19 Taskforce)
Lord Edward Udny-Lister (Former Chief of Staff at No. 10)
Transcript of Module 2 Public Hearing on 07 November 2023
- Witness Statement provided by Simon Ridley, Head of Cabinet Office Covid-19 Taskforce, dated 23/08/2023
- Witness Statement of Lord Udny-Lister, former Downing Street Chief of Staff, dated 09/08/2023
Press articles:
Sunak and Johnson pushed repeatedly against autumn lockdown, inquiry told | Covid inquiry | The Guardian
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67347456
Hearing 8 November
Lord Mark Sedwill, former Cabinet Secretary
Justin Tomlinson MP (Former Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work)
- Witness statement of Lord Mark Sedwill, former Cabinet Secretary, dated 18/08/2023
- Witness statement of Justin Tomlinson MP, dated 07/08/2023
Press articles:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/11/08/covid-inquiry-uk-live-evidence-latest/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-67301894/page/2
Hearing 9 November
Martin Hewitt QPM (Former Chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council)
Dame Priti Patel (Former Secretary of State for the Home Department)
Jun Pang (Policy and Campaigns Officer, Liberty)
- Witness statement provided by Martin Hewitt on behalf of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), dated 29/06/2023
- Witness Statement of Dame Priti Patel, dated 20/09/2023
- Witness Statement of Jun Pang, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Liberty, dated 19/09/2023 which adopted
- Witness Statement of Sam Grant, Advocacy Director, Liberty, dated 4/08/2023
Press articles:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67372615
Update 5 November 2023
Last week saw key figures giving evidence to Module 2 of the Covid Inquiry, which is looking at core UK decision-making and political governance.
Links to the hearing transcripts and written statements witnesses had previously given to the Inquiry are set out below. Other documents can be found at Documents Archive - UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
The hearings have been extensively covered in the press, and a selection of articles is included.
Hearing 30 October
Martin Reynolds – (Former Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister) and Imran Faisal Shafi - (Former Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, Public Services)
Transcript from 30 October 2023
- Witness statement of Martin Alexander Baillie Reynolds, former Principal Private Secretary to the PM in No.10 Downing Street, dated 22/05/2023
- Witness Statement of Imran Shafi, former Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, dated 19/06/2023
Press article: Boris Johnson ‘made it impossible for nation to tackle pandemic effectively’ — as it happened, The Times, 30 October 2023.
Hearing 31 October
Lee Cain (Former Director of communications) and Dominic Cummings (Former chief adviser to Prime Minister)
Transcript from 31 October 2023
- Witness Statement of Lee Cain, former Director of Communications, dated 25/07/2023
- Witness statement of Dominic Cummings dated 12/10/2023
Press article: Eight shocking revelations from Cummings and Cain at the Covid inquiry, Guardian, 31 October 2023.
Hearing 1 November
Helen MacNamara (Former deputy cabinet secretary)
Professor David Halpern (President and Former Chief Executive Officer of the Behavioural Insights Team)
Transcript from 1 November 2023
- Witness statement of Helen MacNamara, dated 09/10/2023
- Witness Statement of David Halpern, CEO of the Cabinet Office Behavioural Insights Team, dated 19/05/2023
Press article: ‘Absence of humanity’: Helen MacNamara’s evidence to Covid inquiry | Covid inquiry, Guardian, 1 November 2023.
Hearing 2 November
Lord Simon Stevens (Former NHS Chief Executive)
Sir Christopher Wormald (Permanent Secretary, Department of Health and Social Care)
Professor Yvonne Doyle (Former Medical Director and Director for Health Protection, Public Health England)
Transcript from 2 November 2023
- Witness statement of Lord Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England, dated 22/09/2023
- Third Witness Statement provided by Sir Christopher Stephen Wormald, on behalf of Department of Health and Social Care, dated 29/03/2023
- Fifth Witness Statement provided by Sir Christopher Stephen Wormald on behalf of DHSC, dated 25/08/2023
- Eighth Witness Statement provided by Sir Christopher Wormald, on behalf of Department of Health and Social Care, dated 30/08/2023
- Ninth Witness statement of Sir Christopher Wormald, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Care, dated 22/09/2023
- Witness Statement of Professor Yvonne Doyle, formed Medical Director of Public Health England, dated 17/10/2023
Press article: Covid inquiry: Hancock ‘wanted to decide who should live or die’ if NHS overwhelmed, Guardian, 2 November 2023.
The week’s evidence prompted several press articles commenting on the Inquiry itself and its purpose, including:
- We needed a Covid inquiry – but this isn’t it, Carl Heneghan, The Spectator, 4 November 2023
- Covid inquiry must offer more than lurid revelations, Camilla Cavendish, FT, 3 November
The timetable for upcoming hearings is at: Core UK Decision-making and Political Governance (Module 2) – Public Hearings. Details of witnesses due to give evidence are generally listed a week in advance.
Live streaming of hearings is available from UK Covid-19 Inquiry and can be played back from UK Covid-19 Inquiry - YouTube.
Module 2 hearings continue until 14 December 2023. The Opening Statement we gave in respect of this Module is at Opening Statement on behalf of the National Care Forum, Homecare Association and Care England, dated 25 September 2023.
Module 6 is on the Care sector across the UK and has yet to start. Public hearings are due to commence in Spring 2025. A number of preliminary hearings are expected to address the procedural aspects.
The Homecare Association, in conjunction with Care England and the National Care Forum, will be applying for Core Participant status for Module 6 when the application window opens from 12 December 2023 to 19 January 2024.
There are online details of the Structure of the Inquiry - UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
Thank you to Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP for their help in compiling information about the Inquiry hearings.
Update 27 October 2023
Every Story Matters provide everyone affected by the pandemic the opportunity to share the impact it had on them and their life within the Inquiry.
They will be hosting a series of small targeted events, which will be for healthcare workers, social care workers and people living in care homes to speak to them about their experiences of the pandemic.
The upcoming event locations are:
- 14-15 November: Carlisle
- 16 -17 November: Wrexham
- 27-28 November: Exeter
- Week commencing 27 November: Newham.
These are dates to hold in your diaries. We will keep members informed of more information when we receive it.
Update 5 October 2023
Information the Homecare Association gave to the Inquiry in our questionnaire on Wales was referred to before the evidence session on 5 October 2023 attended by Caroline Abrahams, Director of Age UK. Counsel to the Inquiry, summarising questionnaire responses from interest groups relating to the issue of later life and the longer term impacts of the pandemic, said (transcript, page 175/line 3):
"[Then, finally,] Homecare Association Wales stated that: "Recovery did not end in spring 2022. Workforce wellbeing continues to be important. The Welsh Government began discussions about recovery in 2020 and produced a Covid-19 recovery framework in July 2021. However, the guidance [they say] for social care only really reached a new normal during the spring 2023 when testing was finally stepped down."
Update 4 October 2023
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has now published the Opening Statement on behalf of the National Care Forum, Homecare Association and Care England, dated 25 September 2023 for Module 2 of the Inquiry on core political and administrative governance and decision-making during the pandemic.
In the Opening Statement, we said it was clear from the experiences and evidence from the memberships of the National Care Forum, Homecare Association and Care England that adult social care was largely neglected before, during and after the pandemic by the core political and administrative governance and decision-makers. We urged to Inquiry to guided in its investigations by the following statements:
• Social care was overlooked in key decision-making moments.
• Social care was misunderstood (it was seen as care homes for older adults, rather than a diverse system of care and support services for all ages, with a workforce of 1.6m, larger than the NHS).
• Social care was disadvantaged (especially in comparison to the NHS. Indeed, the focus of decision-making appeared to be protecting the NHS rather than citizens in all communities).
In our joint view, such a focus would allow the Inquiry itself to avoid the pitfall of overlooking adult social care.
In addition to comments on Module 2, the submission includes reflections on hearings from Module 1, comments on the Inquiry’s chronology and concluding remarks.
Update 3 October 2023
Public hearings into core UK decision-making and political governance (Module 2) start 3 October 2023, with opening statements from Counsel to the Inquiry Core Participants, and Core Participants. BBC News article previewing the hearings.
The topics covered are expected to include the government's response in the early stages of the pandemic in 2020, including social distancing, face mask wearing and lockdowns.
Module 2 public hearings timetable - UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
The hearings are available to watch on YouTube, but will be subject to a three minute delay.
Update 19 September 2023
It was announced public hearings for the Inquiry’s investigations into core UK decision-making and political governance in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (Modules 2A, 2B and 2C) will take place in January, February and April 2024 respectively. More from: Update: UK Covid-19 Inquiry to hear evidence in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in early 2024 - UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
Update 31 August 2023
From the 3 October, the UK Covid-19 Inquiry will begin public hearings for the second investigation, examining core UK decision making and political governance.
Module 2 will take place over nine weeks, with two week-long breaks commencing from Monday 23 October and Monday 13 November. The hearings will be available to watch on YouTube, but will be subject to a three minute delay.
We would like to remind you that there is an opportunity to submit your own experience of the pandemic and the lasting impact it has had on yourself, your family and other aspects of your through Every Story Matters.
Your participation will be anonymised and turned into themed reports which will be submitted to each relevant investigation. Every Story Matters will remain open throughout the duration of the Inquiry.
Update 14 June 2023
The first public hearings of the Covid-19 inquiry began this week.
The inquiry was established to examine the Government’s response to the pandemic, the impact on the public and to learn lessons that can be implemented into future planning.
It is being chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, a retired judge and crossbench peer.
The inquiry will cover four modules, these are:
- Module 1: Resilience and preparedness
- Module 2: Core UK decision-making and political governance
- Module 3: Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare
- Module 4: Vaccines and therapeutics.
This week marks the opening hearing for Module 1: Resilience and preparedness, which saw the opening remarks from Baroness Hallett, the opening statement from Counsel to the Inquiry and from the Core Participants.
All of the hearings will be livestreamed on YouTube.
We will update this page as the inquiry proceeds.
Every Story Matters - UK Covid-19 Inquiry gives everyone affected by the pandemic the opportunity to share the impact it had on them and their life with the Inquiry. Participation toolkit and accessibility information.
