Paul Seddon,Political reporter and Sam Francis,Political reporter PA Media Boris Johnson oversaw a “toxic and chaotic” culture within government that led to poor Covid decision-making, the inquiry into the pandemic response has found. In a much-awaited report, inquiry chair Baroness Hallett said the former prime minister should have responded more urgently to the developing crisis. […]

The circumstances which led to the Welsh government’s decision to impose a Christmas 2020 Covid lockdown across Wales were “inexcusable”, says the chair of the UK public inquiry into the pandemic. Baroness Hallet said Welsh ministers had failed to take “decisive action” against an “entirely foreseeable” Covid variant resulting in the lockdown. Prior to the

Jim Reed,Health reporter, BBC News and Yaya Egwaikhide,Health producer, BBC News BBC Dame Ruth May was England’s chief nurse from 2019 until she retired in July 2024 Nurses bore the brunt of the pandemic, with low staffing levels and difficulties accessing protective equipment, according to England’s former chief nurse. Dame Ruth May told the Covid

UKHSA’s Prof Susan Hopkins questioned over face masks at Covid inquiry. There is only “weak evidence” that high-grade face masks better protected health workers than surgical ones in the pandemic, the Covid inquiry has been told. Prof Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said respirator masks – known as

Jim ReedHealth reporter, BBC News Getty Images The provision of PPE for healthcare workers is being explored in this part of the Covid inquiry (stock image) The chair of the Covid inquiry has refused an application from the UK Health Security Agency to keep the identities of two junior clinicians secret. Lawyers for UKHSA applied

Jim ReedHealth reporter, BBC News Prof Kevin Fong said he undertook an informal visit to one of the “hardest hit” intensive care units in the country Treating patients during the pandemic was like responding to a daily terror attack, the Covid inquiry has heard. Giving testimony, Professor Kevin Fong, spoke of staff he met during

Jim ReedHealth reporter, Covid inquiry Mark Tilley Mark Tilley worked as an ambulance technician in south-east England through the first two waves of the pandemic Ambulance crews faced crucial delays trying to save dying patients in the pandemic because of the time it took to put on protective equipment, the Covid inquiry has been told.

Alison Holt,Social affairs editor and Becky Morton,Political reporter Getty Images The Liberal Democrats have called on the government to exempt social care from the rise in National Insurance. The party said the chancellor had provided extra funding for the NHS and other public sector organisations to cover the cost of the tax rise – but

Nick Triggle, Jim Reed, Dom Hughes and Michelle RobertsBBC News Getty Images The long-awaited independent report into how well or badly the government handled the Covid pandemic has been published. Chairwoman of the inquiry, former judge Baroness Hallett, said the UK’s response could be summarised as “too little, too late”. The report looks at whether

Getty Images The government ignored an early warning by two Nobel prize-winning scientists that all healthcare workers should be routinely tested for coronavirus in the pandemic, the Covid inquiry has heard. The advice came in a strongly-worded letter sent in April 2020 by the chief executive of the Francis Crick Institute, Sir Paul Nurse, and