Public Inquiry

UK COVID-19 Inquiry

Status: Ongoing Chair: Baroness Heather Hallett Established: Apr 2022 Commissioned by: Cabinet Office

Public inquiry examining the UK's response to and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and learning lessons for the future. The inquiry is examining preparedness, decision-making, health and social care, vaccines, and the impact on different communities.

Response breakdown

44 recommendations total

43%

11%

34%

19 (43%) — Accepted

5 (11%) — Accepted in Part

3 (7%) — Under Review

15 (34%) — Awaiting Response

2 (5%) — Not Applicable

Reports & milestones

Reports

18 Jul 2024 10 tracked recs Module 1: Resilience and Preparedness · Tracked recommendations · PDF

20 Nov 2025 19 tracked recs Module 2: Core Decision-Making · Tracked recommendations · PDF

19 Mar 2026 10 tracked recs Module 3: Impact on Healthcare Systems · Tracked recommendations · PDF

16 Apr 2026 5 tracked recs Module 4: Vaccines and Therapeutics · Tracked recommendations · PDF

30 Nov 2023 0 tracked recs Every Story Matters · PDF

Timeline

12 May 2021 Inquiry Announced Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a statutory public inquiry. · Source

15 Dec 2021 Chair Appointed Baroness Hallett appointed as Chair.

28 Jun 2022 Terms of Referenc… Terms of Reference finalised after consultation. · Source

04 Oct 2022 Preliminary Heari… First preliminary hearing held.

13 Jun 2023 Module 1 Hearings… Module 1 examining preparedness and resilience began.

03 Oct 2023 Module 2 Hearings Module 2 examining core UK decision-making.

15 Jan 2024 Module 2 Devolved… Hearings examining Scottish, Welsh and NI decision-making.

18 Jul 2024 Module 1 Report P… First report on pandemic preparedness published. · Source

Recommendations

15 shown (filtered)

Code	Recommendation	Addressed to	Response
COVID-M3.1	IPC Structures and Transmission Risk The UK government must ensure that there is a body (equivalent to the UK Infection Prevention and Control Cell) in place ready …	Department of Health and Social Care	No Published Response	View →
COVID-M3.2	Visiting Restrictions Guidance The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive should publish guidance for the implementation of visiting restrictions in hospitals …	Department of Health and Social Care	No Published Response	View →
COVID-M3.3	Fit-Testing Preparedness The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive should work with employers, including health boards and trusts, to review …	Department of Health and Social Care	No Published Response	View →
COVID-M3.4	Data Systems for High-Risk Individuals The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive must ensure that health data and digital systems have the capability …	Department of Health and Social Care	No Published Response	View →
COVID-M3.5	Scale Up Urgent and Emergency Care The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive, in conjunction with organisations responsible for delivering services, should plan for …	Department of Health and Social Care	No Published Response	View →
COVID-M3.6	Scale Up Hospital Capacity The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive should work with trusts and health boards to ensure that pandemic …	Department of Health and Social Care	No Published Response	View →
COVID-M3.7	ICU Resource Allocation Framework The UK government and devolved administrations should publish a UK-wide framework setting out ethical and operational principles to guide the allocation of …	Department of Health and Social Care	No Published Response	View →
COVID-M3.8	Recording Healthcare Worker Deaths The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive should work with their respective public health agencies and healthcare employers …	Department of Health and Social Care	No Published Response	View →
COVID-M3.9	Standardised Advance Care Planning The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive, working with trusts and health boards, should establish and promote one …	Department of Health and Social Care	No Published Response	View →
COVID-M3.10	Healthcare Worker Support The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive, working with healthcare employers and professional bodies, should put in place …	Department of Health and Social Care	No Published Response	View →
COVID-M4.1	Establish Pharmaceutical Expert Advisory Panel The UK government should establish a standing pharmaceutical expert advisory panel, in consultation with the Department of Health and Social Care and …	Department of Health and Social Care	No Response	View →
COVID-M4.2	Formalise Community Vaccine Equity Networks The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive should maintain networks with local communities to produce targeted vaccination strategies …	UK Health Security Agency	No Published Response	View →
COVID-M4.3	Improve Vaccine Uptake Monitoring and Evaluation Each of the four UK public health or health security agencies should work together to: maintain accurate, UK-wide insight into the state …	UK Health Security Agency	No Published Response	View →
COVID-M4.4	Proportionate Access to Linked Healthcare Records The UK government and devolved administrations should work together, with their respective health delivery services, to facilitate and coordinate regulatory bodies' access …	Medicines and Healthcare products Reg…	No Published Response	View →
COVID-M4.5	Reform Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme The UK government must reform the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme as soon as possible. The reform should include as a minimum: increasing …	Department for Work and Pensions	No Response	View →

Parliamentary activity

256 mentions since Jul 2020

9 debates 112 questions 36 statements

03 Jun 2026 Written Question Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme
Sir Christopher Chope (Conservative)

01 Jun 2026 Written Question Covid-19 Inquiry
Jess Asato (Labour)

20 May 2026 Written Ministerial Statement UK COVID-19 Inquiry response costs for Quarter 3 25/26
Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour)

20 May 2026 Written Ministerial Statement UK COVID-19 Inquiry response costs for Quarter 3 25/26
Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour)

19 May 2026 Written Question Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme
Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat)

View all 256 mentions →

Costs

Total: £213,708,000

Period	Total	Inquiry legal	CP legal	Source
Mar 2026 (cum.)	£213,708,000	£67,344,000	£54,773,000	link
Sep 2025	£19,012,000	£10,892,000	£8,471,000	link
Mar 2025	£66,723,000	£18,704,000	£20,470,000	link
Mar 2024	£80,889,000	£20,453,000	£19,335,000	link
Mar 2023	£25,625,000	£9,210,000	£3,129,000	link