Downing Street responds to daughter’s call for Covid-19 inquiry

Dalton's Sarah Nicola, whose mum Helen died with the virus last March, is among those calling for an immediate inquiry to ensure any lessons are learned.

Although it has promised a review, the government has so far refused to place a definite start date.

A government spokesperson said: “Every death from this virus is a tragedy and our sympathies are with everyone who has lost loved ones. We recognise the impact this unprecedented period has had on people’s mental health and wellbeing.

“We have been clear that there will be opportunities in the future to look back, analyse and reflect on all aspects of this pandemic. As the Prime Minister has said, this will include an independent inquiry at the appropriate time.”

Barrow MP Simon Fell said the Prime Minister 'has been clear that the buck stops with him' and that there will be a full inquiry into the response to Coronavirus.

He said: "But I don’t believe that the right time to have that enquiry is now – while the NHS is still stretched, a nationwide vaccination programme is running, and every arm of government – both national and local – is fully engaged in responding to the daily challenges of this pandemic.”

Although Ms Nicola, a member of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, accepts that the current situation overrules the need for an inquiry, she believes that it should begin once positive cases are low.

She said: “The government has already committed to a public inquiry previously, but when is that likely to be? Two, three years’ time? Let’s not wait until the end of the pandemic, because it’s okay to say lessons learned at the end, but we're currently in this crisis and want to stop lives being lost and suffering. It’s looking like we are going to be in this for a while, so as soon as the current wave has dipped to a significantly lower level, then hopefully at that point there will be an opportunity for a rapid review.”