The harrowing impact of the coronavirus pandemic on patients and NHS staff is to be laid bare in a new report.
The UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry is set to publish insights into how Britain’s healthcare system coped. Several health leaders broke down as they gave powerful testimony in 2024.
A senior NHS leader broke down in tears as he described scenes "from hell" on intensive care wards, with staff running out of body bags and sick patients "raining from the sky".
Professor Kevin Fong – former national clinical adviser in emergency preparedness, resilience and response at NHS England – told the inquiry that the scale of death on intensive care units was "truly astounding".
Former chief nursing officer for England Dame Ruth May described how the NHS in England went into the pandemic with 40,000 fewer nurses than it needed.
Ex-health secretary Matt Hancock told the inquiry that in the early months, hospitals were within hours of running out of some items of personal protective equipment.
Covid-19 inquiry report
- Report set to reveal coronavirus effects on NHS
- Hancock defended suspending non-urgent care
Report set to reveal coronavirus effects on NHS
00:01 , Jane DaltonThe UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry is set to publish a report on Module 3 of its investigations, looking at how the NHS coped in the face of the spreading coronavirus pandemic.
Inquiry chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett examined all aspects of the NHS during the crisis.
This included how managers led the pandemic response, the role of primary care and GPs, NHS backlogs and how the vaccine programme was integrated.
Hancock defended suspending non-urgent care
00:05 , Jane DaltonFormer health secretary Matt Hancock told the inquiry that England's hospitals were within hours of running out of some items of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the early months of the pandemic.
Mr Hancock also said he reluctantly approved of the decision to put non-urgent planned care on hold during the pandemic.
The Government prioritised hospital capacity for Covid-19 and emergency patients, and so suspended elective (non-urgent) treatment in spring 2020.
This led to growing waiting lists and meant thousands of people who needed care for non-Covid reasons had to wait or could not access treatment.
The former MP also defended the Stay Home, Save Lives, Protect the NHS messaging implemented during the pandemic.
