Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry: Timeline

Key dates in the inquiry's progress, assembled from its recorded milestones and hearing phases.

Hearing-phase dates are taken from the published hearing days; some earlier milestone dates are approximate where the inquiry has not published an exact date.

Milestones & hearing phases

Milestone Hearing phase Reports & costs Still to come
24 Aug 2021
Inquiry Announced
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a Scottish public inquiry into COVID-19.
14 Dec 2021
Chair Appointed
Lord Brailsford appointed as Chair of the Inquiry.
22 Jun 2022
Terms of Reference Set
Terms of Reference established.
26 Jul 2023 to 10 Mar 2026
Evidential hearings
106 sitting days
28 Aug 2023 to 22 Jan 2025
Procedural / preliminary hearing
2 sitting days
30 Nov 2023
Let's Be Heard interim report published
The inquiry published the first report of its Let's Be Heard listening project, sharing what respondents said about their experiences, the impacts on them and the lessons they wanted learned.
17 Feb 2025
Voices of Prisoners case study published
A Let's Be Heard case study setting out what prisoners shared about their experiences of the pandemic in Scotland.
21 Aug 2025
Voices of Children and Young People case study published
A Let's Be Heard case study setting out what children and young people shared about their experiences of the pandemic in Scotland.
31 Dec 2025
Costs to date: £50m
Cumulative expenditure to 31 December 2025
24 Mar 2026
Narrative Record on health and social care published
The inquiry published a narrative record of the health and social care impact hearings, with an executive summary alongside it. The record sets out the evidence heard and contains no findings of fact or recommendations.
2 Sep 2026
Let's Be Heard volume 1 published
The first of the Let's Be Heard volumes, on financial and welfare support, drew on the experiences of over 12,500 contributors to the listening project.
To be confirmed
Final report (to be confirmed)
The inquiry has not yet reported.