The UK Covid-19 inquiry has delivered a damning verdict on the state of the NHS during the pandemic, concluding that the health service 'teetered on the brink of collapse' and only avoided disaster through the 'almost superhuman efforts' of staff. The report, published yesterday, rejects claims by Conservative ministers at the time that the NHS was not overwhelmed.
Inquiry chair Heather Hallett said healthcare systems 'coped, but only just'. Bereaved families, who have long campaigned for the inquiry, welcomed the findings as vindication of their concerns about capacity and political choices. Naomi Fulop, a healthcare academic and member of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, said the group was 'pleased' with the report, which they felt gave a 'very good diagnosis of what went wrong'.
The inquiry also highlighted the use of 'do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation' orders without proper consultation, an issue raised by bereaved families. Fulop described giving evidence as 'one of the most nerve-racking things I've ever done', but said the group had made a tangible difference by bringing such issues to light.
Fulop stressed that the NHS was 'absolutely unprepared' for the pandemic due to years of austerity, which left it without the necessary resilience. She warned that the NHS is 'probably in a worse state now than it was in 2020', and called for recommendations to strengthen capacity and resilience for the future.
