Covid Inquiry to Release Third Report on Healthcare Impact
The Covid inquiry is scheduled to publish its third report on Thursday, focusing on how healthcare systems were affected by the pandemic.
Its initial two reports were highly critical of the UK government's preparedness and political decision-making, characterizing the response as
"too little, too late".
Between March 2020 and May 2023, just under 227,000 people died in the UK from Covid, a period which ended when the World Health Organization declared the "global health emergency" over.
What is the Covid Public Inquiry?
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched the Covid-19 inquiry in June 2022, more than a year after committing to scrutinize the government's pandemic response.
The announcement followed pressure from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign group, which had considered a judicial review over delays.
The inquiry examines decision-making by the UK government as well as the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Its first public hearings commenced in June 2023.
Public inquiries are government-established and funded but led by an independent chair with powers to compel witnesses to provide evidence.
While no individuals are found guilty or innocent, the inquiry publishes conclusions and recommendations, which the government is not legally required to implement.
The inquiry is chaired by former judge and crossbench peer Baroness Hallett, who previously led the inquests into the 7 July London bombings.
In December 2025, the BBC reported that the inquiry had cost the government over £100 million to date.
This figure is in addition to the £192 million spent by the inquiry itself, bringing the total taxpayer cost to more than 50% higher than previously estimated.
Findings of the Inquiry's Second Report on Political Decisions
Published in November 2025, the inquiry's second report analyzed political decision-making during the pandemic.
It concluded that lockdown might have been avoided if voluntary measures such as social distancing and isolation had been implemented earlier than 16 March 2020.
The report stated that a one-week delay in introducing these measures resulted in approximately 23,000 additional deaths in England during the first wave.
It described a
"toxic and chaotic"culture at the core of the UK government during the pandemic response, which negatively impacted the quality of advice and decisions.
More than 7,000 documents from the period have been released publicly, including WhatsApp chats, emails, private diaries, and confidential files.
Insights from the Inquiry's First Report on Preparedness
The first report, focusing on resilience and preparedness, was published in July 2024.
Baroness Hallett stated that the UK was
"ill-prepared for dealing with a catastrophic emergency, let alone the coronavirus pandemic".
She added,
"Never again can a disease be allowed to lead to so many deaths and so much suffering".
The 217-page report argued that the UK had planned for the wrong type of pandemic—one that was mild and where virus spread was inevitable—leading to the adoption of the
"untested"policy of lockdown.
It criticized the UK government and devolved administrations for failing their citizens and noted that ministers did not sufficiently challenge scientific experts.
The report included recommendations for reforming government emergency planning approaches.
Ongoing Investigations and Future Reports
Although public hearings have concluded, the inquiry continues to investigate other pandemic-related aspects.
The fourth report, focused on vaccines, is scheduled for release on 16 April 2026.
A report on procurement is anticipated in summer 2026, with additional reports on the care sector and test-and-trace expected towards the end of that year.
The remaining three reports are planned for publication in the first half of 2027.
Separately, Scotland is conducting its own inquiry into the pandemic.
Witnesses and Evidence Presented to the Inquiry
The inquiry's final public hearings took place in March 2026, having heard evidence from hundreds of witnesses including current and former politicians, civil servants, government advisers, public health experts, and representatives of bereaved families.
Many witnesses were highly critical of Boris Johnson, who was Prime Minister throughout the pandemic.
Johnson began his first evidence session in December 2023 by apologizing for the
"pain and the loss and the suffering"caused by the pandemic.
He acknowledged mistakes, stating
"there were unquestionably things we should have done differently", but maintained that ministers had done their
"level best"under challenging circumstances.
Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, in his initial appearance, apologized
"to all those who suffered... as a result of the actions that were taken".
Sunak denied that his "Eat Out to Help Out" scheme increased infections and deaths.
Government Chief Medical Officer Prof Sir Chris Whitty and former Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance testified that they had not been consulted about the scheme.
Sir Patrick, Sir Chris, and his former deputy Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam also reported receiving substantial public abuse while performing their roles.
Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock has appeared multiple times, stating that the UK's pandemic strategy was
"completely wrong"and admitting that lockdown should have been implemented sooner.
Hancock criticized the
"toxic culture"within government, attributing it to Johnson's former adviser Dominic Cummings.
Dominic Cummings described the government as
"dysfunctional"and was highly critical of Johnson's leadership approach.
The inquiry discussed Cummings' controversial text messages, many containing offensive descriptions of ministers and officials.
Cummings expressed regret over his widely publicized trip to Barnard Castle during the first lockdown but denied that it damaged public trust in the government.
Political leaders from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have also provided evidence to the inquiry.
Public Participation in the Covid Inquiry
Groups representing bereaved families urged the inquiry to ensure their voices were heard throughout the process.
The inquiry's Every Story Matters project collected over 47,000 personal Covid accounts before closing submissions in May 2025.
The final report from Every Story Matters was published in March 2026.
Members of the public were able to apply to attend public hearings in person.
Public hearings were streamed live on the inquiry's YouTube channel.
Additionally, transcripts of witness testimonies are available on the inquiry's official website.
