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The RCN and the UK COVID-19 Inquiry
Supporting members to share their experiences in an independent inquiry
As nursing and midwifery staff, our members were at the centre of the UK鈥檚 pandemic response.聽
Their experiences are key to evaluating what went wrong and informing a better approach to a future pandemic.
The UK COVID-19 Inquiry is a UK-wide independent inquiry into the response to and impact of the pandemic.
The inquiry is chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, a former Court of Appeal judge. It’s expected to run until 2026. Alongside this inquiry, a separate Scottish inquiry is being run by the Scottish government. The inquiries will share relevant information to avoid duplication.
Here at the RCN, we have an important role to play in making sure the voice of nursing is heard during both the UK-wide and Scottish inquiries. We support any member who wants to take part as they share experiences, ask questions and raise concerns.
Please note that the UK COVID-19 Inquiry ‘Every Story Matters’ project has now closed but members can continue to follow the Inquiry on the and watch hearings on the Inquiry’s .
Our role as a 鈥榗ore participant鈥�
We take our role so seriously that we successfully applied to become a ‘core participant’ in both the UK-wide inquiry and the Scottish inquiry. This gives us special rights, such as:
receiving documentation
being represented legally
making legal submissions
suggesting questions
receiving advance notice of the inquiry’s report
With these additional rights, we can do more to make sure our members’ experiences are properly acknowledged. And we can ensure members feel informed and supported when the impact of the pandemic on healthcare is considered.
COVID inquiry: 'Why were RCN warnings ignored?'
Nursing testimony at the COVID-19 Inquiry has highlighted how the failure to listen to the nursing profession led to inadequate infection prevention guidance and improper supply of PPE, putting staff at risk.
Nursing staff were put at risk before and during COVID-19 and we remain unprepared for any future emergence of COVID-19, or any other health emergency.
The UK COVID-19 Inquiry and its findings will be crucial to shape the country's future plans for pandemic preparedness.
Module 1 report: emotional reading for nursing staff
The inquiry has published its first report and set of recommendations, highlighting significant flaws in pandemic preparations which meant COVID-19 caused more deaths than it should have.
Learn more about the inquiry
The inquiry is split into 10 modules.
In module 1, the inquiry explored how prepared the government was for the pandemic. It investigated how the government managed and made decisions about the risk of a Coronavirus pandemic. The hearings are now over and the inquiry’s report has since been published.
Module 2 began in October 2023. The inquiry looked at the UK’s initial response to the pandemic. It explored how the UK government made decisions and the effectiveness of its relationships with devolved governments, local authorities and the voluntary and community sectors.
In module 3, the inquiry examined the impact of COVID-19 and the UK’s response to it in health care systems. Our members gave evidence in this module.
Module 4 covered vaccines and therapeutics and module 5 covered government procurement.
Module 6 covered the care sector and the RCN gave evidence during this module, while module 7 examined the approach to testing, tracing and isolation.
Module 8 looked at the impact of the pandemic on children and young people.
Module 9 covered the economic response, and Module 10 examined the impact on society.
Whilst the inquiry hearings have now concluded, reports from each module will continue to be published throughout 2026/27.
FAQs
Check out the , or read answers to some frequently asked questions below.
The inquiry will examine, consider and report on the preparations for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, up to 28 June 2022.
The inquiry broadly aims to cover:
The public health response across the whole of the UK
The response of the health and care sector across the UK
The economic response to the pandemic and its impact
With this new understanding, the inquiry will set recommendations to inform the response to any future pandemic across the UK.
Read the full scope of the inquiry on the webpage.
The UK COVID-19 Inquiry will consider the response in areas affecting the whole of the UK, such as:
social security schemes
immigration and asylum
product safety
health and safety at work
employment rights and duties
The Scottish inquiry will consider devolved responses to the pandemic in areas such as:
education
health
welfare assistance
financial support
The two inquiries will liaise with each other throughout to minimise any duplication. They have agreed principles of co-operation and the practical steps they will take to achieve them.
This is the biggest public inquiry the UK has carried out. It will take several years to complete.
The inquiry concluded its hearings at the start of March 2026. It will publish a further seven reports:
Vaccines, therapeutics and anti-viral treatment across the UK: 16 April 2026
Nursing testimony at the COVID-19 inquiry highlighted that the lack of staff available in the care sector led to a distressing and inadequate level of care during the pandemic
Christine Callender, Head of Nursing Practice, reflects on how the community nursing workforce must be invested in following COVID-19 and into the future.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger reflects on the findings of Module 3 of the COVID-19 Inquiry and the lasting impact on our profession.
As the latest module in the COVID Inquiry - focused on the impact of the pandemic on the care sector - finishes, Claire Sutton reflects on the importance of this module as well as the evidence the RCN gave to ensure the experiences of nursing staff were heard.
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