Covid inquiry chair defends 200m cost and four-year process on final day

"There are people who believe it is time to move on from the pandemic and they question the worth of this inquiry. I hope that when they read about the extent of the suffering that we've heard and see the results of the inquiry's work, they will appreciate the huge scale of loss caused by Covid 19 and they will understand better why this inquiry was established."

"If implemented, my recommendations should reduce the number of deaths, reduce the suffering and reduce the social and economic cost. Baroness Hallett urged the public to push for changes she recommended ahead of any future pandemic, emphasizing the practical value of the inquiry's findings."

"Over 600,000 documents had been received and reviewed as part of the inquiry, and more than 350 witnesses had been called to give evidence. This extensive evidence gathering demonstrates the comprehensive scope of the investigation into the UK's pandemic response across all four nations."

Baroness Heather Hallett, chair of the UK Covid-19 public inquiry, defended the investigation's cost and duration on the final day of hearings. The inquiry, which began formally in 2022 with witness hearings starting in June 2023, examined the pandemic response across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Costing just over £200 million, it reviewed over 600,000 documents and heard testimony from more than 350 witnesses. Hallett emphasized that completing the hearings in under four years was an extraordinary achievement and urged the public to support her recommendations for future pandemic preparedness. Eight additional reports on topics including the NHS, vaccines, test and trace, children's impacts, and social care will be published through the first half of next year. Previous reports were critical of government officials and politicians.

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