Hunt apologises for pandemic failings in wake of Covid inquiry report

The former health secretary said he had been ‘part of a groupthink’ that failed to prepare for non-flu pandemics.

Jeremy Hunt served as health secretary between 2012 and 2018, and was responsible for pandemic planning during that period (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

Jeremy Hunt has apologised for failures in the UK’s pandemic preparations highlighted by the Covid inquiry.

In its first report, published on Thursday, the inquiry found the former government had “failed” the public due to “significant flaws” in preparing for a pandemic.

On Sunday, Mr Hunt acknowledged that as health secretary between 2012 and 2018, he had been “part of a groupthink where we over-prepared for pandemic flu, we didn’t think about other types of pandemic”.

Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, he said: “I apologise unreservedly to the families. That was the most terrible tragedy what happened to this country during Covid.”

He also urged the new Government to take up the recommendations of Baroness Heather Hallett’s 217-page report.

The report said the inquiry had “no hesitation” in concluding the “processes, planning and policy of the civil contingencies structures within the UK government and devolved administrations and civil services failed their citizens”.

Among the problems identified by the inquiry were a failure to plan for the pandemic that actually occurred, with too much focus on pandemic flu, “labyrinthine” structures for emergency planning, and a “failure to learn sufficiently” from planning exercises.

In her recommendations, Lady Hallett called for a pandemic strategy to be developed and tested at least every three years, with a UK-wide crisis response exercise.

She said the Government and political leaders should be properly held to account on a regular basis “for systems of preparedness and resilience”.

She also said external experts from outside Whitehall and government should be brought in to challenge and guard against “the known problem of groupthink”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said ministers will “carefully consider” Lady Hallett’s recommendations, adding it is a “top priority” for his Government.

He said: “The Government’s first responsibility is to keep the public safe, and as Prime Minister I am personally committed to each and every family that lost loved ones, and whose lives were changed forever, that this Government will learn the lessons from the inquiry.”