Green MP Ellie Chowns responds to Covid inquiry

Ellie Chowns, MP for North Herefordshire said: “Our thoughts today are with the families of the over 230,000 people who have died from Covid-19, the key workers who risked their lives to keep the country going and countless others who had to make terrible sacrifices when Covid-19 first struck.

“As this report lays bare the awful truth is that many of those deaths, and the subsequent lengthy lockdowns we had to endure to bring cases down, would have been avoided if better preparation had been in place. We simply can never allow these failures to be repeated.

“The grim truth is that the UK is in an even worse position to deal with a pandemic today than it was at the start of 2020. With our NHS overstretched, lengthy waiting lists and a demoralised workforce.

“The Government should commit to adopting the recommendations made by the Covid Inquiry, but just as importantly they must match our pledge to invest £30bn a year in the NHS by 2030, to ensure we have infrastructure, workforce and equipment in place that we need. The cost is miniscule compared to what will be required if another pandemic strikes whilst our health service is in its current state.”