The inquiry into the UK government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic will not be heard publicly until 2023, according to its chairman.
Baroness Hallett said her team will collect evidence throughout the year and try to make recommendations “as soon as possible”.
The draft mandate for the investigation was released on Thursday.
More than 162,000 people have died from a positive Covid case across the UK in 28 days since the pandemic began.
The inquiry, due to begin in the spring, will look at preparing for the pandemic, as well as the health, care and economic response.
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In an open letter, Baroness Hallett, a former Supreme Court Justice, said that once it officially begins, there will be an opportunity for people to share their experiences of the pandemic.
She said: “I will do everything in my power to make recommendations as soon as possible to ensure that any future pandemic will reduce or prevent the suffering and hardship that many of you have been experiencing.”
Baroness Hallett has launched a consultation on the Inquiry’s draft mandate, which will run until April 7th, which will determine the scope of the Inquiry.
She said her team will visit cities across the UK’s four nations to gather the views of bereaved families, communities and support groups.
Baroness Hallett pledged to conduct “an independent, thorough and open inquiry” and said the pandemic has had an “unprecedented impact on everyone” in the UK.
According to the current draft terms of reference, the research aims to produce “a factual, narrative report” covering decision-making at all levels of government and the response of the health and care sector, as well as identifying “lessons to be learned”.
The group “Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice” welcomed the publication of the mandate as “a major step forward” and said it looked forward to contributing to the consultation on the terms.
The Scottish Government has its own Covid-19 inquiry to be led by Judge Lady Poole.
Several reports have already put the spotlight on the UK government’s handling of the pandemic.
A report by MPs from the Health and Welfare Committee and Science and Technology Committee last October said the UK’s failure to do more to stop the spread of Covid at the start of the pandemic was one of the country’s worst failures in the world area of public health.
Meanwhile, the National Audit Office’s spending watchdog found ministers were not properly prepared for a pandemic like Covid-19 and lacked detailed plans for shielding, work support schemes and school suspensions.
The Government said the unprecedented pandemic has challenged health systems around the world – not just in the UK.
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