Recommendation 4

There is considerable learning from the COVID-19 vaccine programme that might apply elsewhere, both in the health sector, such as screening programmes and routine vaccinations, and across wider government. In our March 2022 report on government preparedness for the pandemic, we noted the importance of learning lessons from the COVID-19 response. The NAO identified several factors behind the significant success of the vaccine programme, including how it acted decisively at an early stage, how it clearly set out competing risks, and its effective use of data. These are areas where we have found some other parts of the government’s COVID-19 response lacking. While recognising that the COVID-19 vaccine programme was an emergency response, we also see potential for learning for business-as-usual activities. Recommendation: The Department should carry out a systematic exercise to identify successes and other lessons from the programme and, within six months of this report, communicate to the Committee the main improvements it will make as a result in other health programmes, as well as any wider applications to emergency response planning or other government programmes.