Coronavirus: Bereaved families condemn government silence over calls for public inquiry

'Once again, grieving families feel forgotten,' says co-founder of relatives' group

Bereaved families who lost loved ones to coronavirus have criticised Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock for failing to meet them or respond to calls for a public inquiry into the crisis.

The group, Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, wrote to senior ministers in June to demand an immediate inquiry into the government's handling of the pandemic to prevent further deaths.

More than 73,000 people have signed their petition calling for the government to learn lessons to prevent more families "needlessly going through the loss and trauma we are experiencing".

The group said their appeal had been met with silence except for a two-line response from Downing Street on Monday, saying their correspondence was "receiving attention".

Co-founder Jo Goodman, whose father Stuart died of the virus in April, said: "We are deeply disappointed that the government has not accepted our invitation to meet. It has not even had the courtesy to respond to our petition.

"Once again, grieving families feel forgotten, with the government refusing to accept any degree of responsibility for mistakes that have been made in its response to the pandemic.

"The government offers condolences to those who have been bereaved, but while it is unwilling to engage with us, it is very difficult to accept its sympathy."

Particular concerns centre around delays to implementing the lockdown, inadequate supplies of PPE and early decisions to discharge elderly patients from hospitals into care homes.

The group accepts that a full inquiry will take time but insist that a public review must take place ahead of a possible second wave of cases in the autumn.

It comes as the health ombudsman wrote to ministers to say there must be a public inquiry into the handling of the pandemic.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), which deals with unresolved NHS complaints in England, said it was vital that lessons are learned from any mistakes made in the handling of the crisis.

Both the prime minister and the health secretary have not committed to establishing an immediate public inquiry but accept that lessons must be learned.