Inquiries COVID-19 Inquiry Hearings ongoingReported

Reports & recommendations

55 recommendations from 5 reports, each with the government response on the record. Filter by government response, report, nation or delivery status.

Title Volume Publication Date Recommendations Links
Module 1: Resilience and Preparedness 1 18 Jul 2024 10
Module 2: Core Decision-Making
Volumes: Module 2 Report Volume I (Feb 2026 amended issue) · PDF Module 2 Report Volume II · PDF
2 20 Nov 2025 19
Module 3: Impact on Healthcare Systems
Original edition: Version 1 — NO-COMMENTS original Report page first published 19 March 2026.
Version 1.1 — current corrected edition (Corrslip-2) Correction slip dated 13 May 2026; page metadata modified 14 May 2026. The page modification is not a formal republication date. Open current edition · Search this held text
3 19 Mar 2026 10
Module 4: Vaccines and Therapeutics 4 16 Apr 2026 5
Module 5: Procurement 5 14 Jul 2026 11
Every Story Matters: Economic Response Listening Exercise 24 Nov 2025 0
Every Story Matters: Impact on Society - Key Workers Listening Exercise 16 Feb 2026 0
Every Story Matters: Test, Trace and Isolate Listening Exercise 12 May 2025 0
Every Story Matters: Impact on Society - Bereavement Listening Exercise 03 Mar 2026 0
Every Story Matters: Final Record Listening Exercise 05 Mar 2026 0
Every Story Matters: Impact on Society - Mental Health and Wellbeing Listening Exercise 16 Feb 2026 0
Every Story Matters: Adult Social Care Sector Listening Exercise 30 Jun 2025 0
Every Story Matters: Children and Young People Listening Exercise 29 Sep 2025 0
Every Story Matters: Healthcare Listening Exercise 09 Sep 2024 0
Every Story Matters: Vaccines and Therapeutics Listening Exercise 14 Jan 2025 0

Recommendations (2)

COVID-M2.7
Not accepted

Statutory Child Rights Impact Assessments

Recommendation

The UK government should introduce legislation to place child rights impact assessments on a statutory footing in England. The Northern Ireland Executive should consider an equivalent provision.

In brief (written by this site)

The Inquiry recommended statutory child rights impact assessments for England and Northern Ireland. In June 2026, Josh MacAlister, answering for the Department for Education, stated that the government does not intend to introduce legislation to make Child’s Rights Impact Assessments (CRIAs) a statutory requirement at this time (Josh MacAlister, Jun 2026). In March 2026, the UK Government (Cabinet Office) stated that it would consider Module 8 report findings the following year while working to incorporate children's interests into risk planning (Cabinet Office response, Mar 2026). Earlier in March 2026, the Northern Ireland Executive stated that it did not propose to legislate for CRIAs at that time, though it could review this position following Module 8 (Northern Ireland Executive response, Mar 2026).

UK Government · 25 Mar 2026 Not accepted
Words of: UK Government (Cabinet Office), UK Government Response to the Covid-19 Inquiry Module 2 Report (CP 1534), 25 March 2026
The government agrees with the importance of considering children’s rights in policy making. Children’s rights impact assessments (CRIAs) are used as a tool to identify how decisions taken, including those made during emergencies, could impact children. The Department for Education (DfE) will continue to build awareness and understanding of children’s rights and the use of CRIAs across government. The government does not intend to introduce legislation to make CRIAs a statutory requirement at this time. It is not evident that mandating CRIAs would necessarily lead to better outcomes for children. The risk of making CRIAs mandatory would be that it …
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Northern Ireland Executive · 18 Mar 2026 Under consideration
Words of: Northern Ireland Executive, Executive Response to the Covid-19 Module 2 Report March 2026, 18 March 2026
Remains under consideration Child Rights Impact Assessments (CRIAs) are welcomed as a useful tool in embedding the rights of children in strategic planning, policy making and decision making. Their use is already encouraged across government and the wider public sector. Use of CRIAs is promoted in policy making across the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) and training courses have been developed and provided to support this, working alongside the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY). Content is based around the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). CRIAs exist to ensure that due consideration …
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Cabinet Office (Primary)
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COVID-M3.9
Not accepted

Standardised Advance Care Planning

Recommendation
The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive, working with trusts and health boards, should establish and promote one standardised process across the UK (such as ReSPECT, the Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) for …
In brief (written by this site)

In September 2026, the UK government (Department of Health and Social Care) stated that it does not specifically intend to introduce a standard process across the UK and the devolved governments at this time (Department of Health and Social Care and Cabinet Office response, Sep 2026). In September 2026, the Scottish Government accepted the recommendation in principle, stating that while it does not support a mandatory UK-wide process, work is underway to develop a business case for a standardised digital future care plan in Scotland (Scottish Government response, Sep 2026). The Welsh Government also stated in September 2026 that it does not support a single UK-wide process, confirming that it will instead review and strengthen its existing Advance and Future Care Planning Framework (Welsh Government response, Sep 2026).

Scottish Government · 17 Sep 2026 Accepted in part
Words of: Scottish Government, UK Covid-19 Inquiry Module 3 report: Scottish Government response, page 10, 17 September 2026
The Scottish Government accepts this recommendation in principle. While we do not support a single, mandatory UK-wide process – given the distinct legal, policy, and operational health and care structures across the four nations – we intend to work collaboratively with UK partners to identify where a four nation approach could add value and identify key areas where cross-border interoperability adds direct value to care. We want people of all ages to be supported to have shared decision-making conversations with their health and social care team, families and carers about what matters to them, and in managing and planning for …
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Welsh Government · 17 Sep 2026 Not accepted
Words of: Welsh Government, UK Covid-19 Inquiry Module 3 report (Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare systems across the UK): Welsh Government response, 17 September 2026
9.1 The Welsh Government supports the need to improve advance care planning. People should be supported to have clear and meaningful conversations about what matters to them. These conversations should help clinicians make decisions with patients and families. 9.2 Advance care planning can include decisions about whether cardiopulmonary resuscitation, often called CPR, should be attempted if a person’s heart or breathing stops. A Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation decision, known as DNACPR, is a serious clinical decision. It must be made properly, discussed sensitively, and clearly recorded. 9.3 The Welsh Government is committed to protecting people’s rights, and making sure …
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Department of Health and Social Care · 14 Sep 2026 Not accepted
Words of: UK government (Department of Health and Social Care), UK government response to the Covid-19 Inquiry Module 3 report (CP 1664), 14 September 2026
For the reasons set out above, while we will continue to take action to improve outcomes, the government does not specifically intend to introduce, at this time, a standard process across the UK and the devolved governments.
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Department of Health and Social Care (Primary)
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