Hundreds of coronavirus victims’ bereaved relatives demand immediate public inquiry into government’s handling of pandemic amid fears of a ‘second spike’
- A Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK group wants to take legal action
- The group represents 450 families who have been affected by coronavirus
- They hope their action will help prevent further deaths ahead of a second spike
- One adviser said lessons should be learned ahead of the seasonal influenza bug
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
A group of family members of coronavirus victims has reportedly called for an immediate public inquiry into the crisis.
The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK group, which consists of 450 relatives of people who have died during the pandemic, has told the BBC an urgent review was necessary to limit the ongoing effects of the coronavirus crisis and prevent more deaths.
The group’s lawyer Elkan Abrahamson told the broadcaster an early inquiry should be held prior to any complete formal proceeding, which is expected to take place once the pandemic is over.
Hundreds of victims of Covid-19 are seeking an urgent legal action against the government to start a public inquiry into Boris Johnson’s handling of the pandemic in Britain
Lawyer Elkan Abrahamson said there should be an investigation ahead of a formal public inquiry. Scotland’s former chief scientific adviser Professor Dame Anne Glover said such a probe should take place before the nation is hit by a second wave of Covid-19
‘What we need to look at straightaway are the issues which are life-and-death decisions,’ he said.
‘We expect there will be a second spike. We want to know what the Government is going to do when that happens.’
The group’s request comes after Scotland’s former chief scientific adviser Professor Dame Anne Glover said an inquiry must be held before a second wave of the virus hits the UK.
Prof Glover, who is now president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, told the PA news agency last week: ‘Given that second wave is likely to come at a time that is likely to coincide with seasonal influenza, and that would give us serious problems, we really need to understand what the failings have been in our apparent inability to be able to deal with this pandemic appropriately.
‘Where failures have happened, (we need to understand) why have the failures happened and how can we avoid those failures in the future.
‘This inquiry needs to be delivering in a matter of months, not a matter of years, because the purpose of it is to ensure we do not make the same mistakes should we get a second wave of the virus.’
She added: ‘Nobody’s perfect and it is OK to make a mistake but it would be inexcusable to make the same mistake twice.’
A Government spokesperson said: ‘At some point in the future there will be an opportunity for us to look back, to reflect and to learn some profound lessons.
‘But at the moment, the most important thing to do is to focus on responding to the current situation.’