Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry
Ongoing · Chair: Lord Brailsford · Established February 2022 · Commissioned by Scottish Government
Independent inquiry examining the Scottish Government's strategic response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More about this inquiry
Independent inquiry examining the Scottish Government's strategic response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lord Brailsford appointed October 2022 following Lady Poole's resignation. Scope covers 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022. The impact hearings ran from October 2023 to June 2025, followed by hearings on epidemiology and on lockdown and restrictions to October 2025. Implementation hearings are scheduled for 5 to 23 October 2026, with the timetable for hearings on decision-making to follow. A single final report with recommendations is planned; no publication date has been announced. Over 12,500 people contributed evidence through the Let's Be Heard listening project.
Inquiry website ↗ Terms of reference ↗
Where it stands
The inquiry is sitting today; the previous sitting day was 15 October 2026; the next is listed for 20 October.
The inquiry has published 7 reports, most recently Education and Childcare: Voices from Early Years and Education Professionals, and Parents on 1 October 2026.
Reports
- Voices of Children and Young People: Experiences Shared with Let's Be Heard - A Case StudyListening Exercise · 21 August 2025
- Let's Be Heard: Sharing Respondents' Pandemic Experiences, Impacts, and Lessons to be Learned in ScotlandListening Exercise · 30 November 2023
- Voices of Prisoners: Experiences Shared with Let's Be Heard - A Case StudyListening Exercise · 17 February 2025
- Financial and Welfare Support: Voices from Businesses and IndividualsListening Exercise · 2 September 2026
- Education and Childcare: Voices from Early Years and Education Professionals, and ParentsListening Exercise Volume 2 · 1 October 2026
- The impact of COVID-19 on health and social care in ScotlandNarrative Record · 24 March 2026
- Narrative Record: Health and Social Care Impact HearingsNarrative Record · 24 March 2026
Recent milestones
- Implementation hearings5 October 2026
- Let's Be Heard volume 1 published2 September 2026
- Implementation preliminary hearing25 August 2026
Costs
£50,000,000
Total reported cost to December 2025 Costs in detailReports and timeline
Reports
Timeline
Inquiry Announced
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a Scottish public inquiry into COVID-19.
Chair Appointed
Terms of Reference Set
Terms of Reference amended
Lord Brailsford announced as new Chair
Preliminary Hearing
First preliminary hearing held.
Preliminary hearing: health and social care
The Chair set out how the inquiry would conduct its health and social care investigations.
Health and social care impact hearings begin
The first impact hearings opened, running to 23 May 2024 over 53 sitting days and hearing 156 witnesses.
Show all 26 milestones
Let's Be Heard interim report published
The inquiry published the first report of its Let's Be Heard listening project, sharing what respondents said about their experiences, the impacts on them and the lessons they wanted learned.
Health and social care closing statements
Closing statements for the health and social care impact hearings were heard on 27 and 28 June 2024.
Preliminary hearings: education and business portfolios
The Chair explained how the education and certification, and business and welfare investigations would be carried out.
Education and certification impact hearings
Impact hearings on education and certification ran from 5 to 20 November 2024 over 10 sitting days.
Business and welfare impact hearings
Impact hearings on business and welfare ran from 2 to 18 December 2024 over 12 sitting days.
Preliminary hearing: justice, worship and equalities
The Chair set out how the inquiry would conduct its justice, worship and life events, and equalities and human rights investigations.
Voices of Prisoners case study published
A Let's Be Heard case study setting out what prisoners shared about their experiences of the pandemic in Scotland.
Justice impact hearings
Impact hearings on justice ran from 18 to 28 February 2025 over 8 sitting days.
Worship and life events impact hearings
Impact hearings on worship and life events ran from 29 April to 2 May 2025 over 4 sitting days.
Equalities and human rights impact hearings
Impact hearings on equalities and human rights ran from 10 to 20 June 2025 over 6 sitting days.
Voices of Children and Young People case study published
A Let's Be Heard case study setting out what children and young people shared about their experiences of the pandemic in Scotland.
Epidemiology: core participant questions
The inquiry heard responses to core participant questions on its epidemiology evidence on 22 and 23 September 2025.
Lockdown and restrictions hearings
Hearings on lockdown and other restrictions ran from 24 September to 2 October 2025, covering international approaches, and scientific, social and ethical considerations.
Preliminary hearing on future hearings
A preliminary hearing was held on the shape of the inquiry's remaining hearings.
Narrative Record on health and social care published
The inquiry published a narrative record of the health and social care impact hearings, with an executive summary alongside it. The record sets out the evidence heard and contains no findings of fact or recommendations.
Implementation preliminary hearing
The Chair set out his plans for the implementation hearings at a preliminary hearing held on 25 August 2026.
Let's Be Heard volume 1 published
The first of the Let's Be Heard volumes, on financial and welfare support, drew on the experiences of over 12,500 contributors to the listening project.
Implementation hearings
Hearings examining the implementation of Scottish Government policies and guidance are scheduled for 5 to 23 October 2026, covering pre-pandemic planning, decision making, advisory relationships, use of evidence, communication, implementation, coordination, governance and accountability.
Costs
| Period | Total | Inquiry legal | CP legal | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 (cum.) | £50,000,000 | Not reported | Not reported | Cumulative expenditure to 31 December 2025 Source and qualificationsAccounting period: 14 Dec 2021 to 31 Dec 2025. Inquiry ongoing. Figures rounded to nearest £100,000. No category breakdown published.
|
Cumulative expenditure to 31 December 2025
Source and qualifications
Accounting period: 14 Dec 2021 to 31 Dec 2025.