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You are here: Home / Archives for COVID inquiry

COVID inquiry

Inquiry hears how lack of accountability for disabled people’s Covid deaths caused lasting harm

By John Pring on 26th February 2026 Category: Human Rights

Inquiry hears how lack of accountability for disabled people’s Covid deaths caused lasting harm
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The lack of accountability for the tens of thousands of Covid-related deaths of disabled people receiving care in their own homes and residential settings has caused lasting harm, the UK Covid inquiry has been told. In their opening written submission to […]

UK’s historic decisions on social care should be ‘ground zero’ for Covid inquiry, say DPOs

By John Pring on 7th August 2025 Category: Independent Living

UK’s historic decisions on social care should be ‘ground zero’ for Covid inquiry, say DPOs
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The choices made by the UK state on how the social care system is structured mean that the impact of the pandemic in this area should be “ground zero” for the Covid inquiry’s investigations, disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) have argued. Four […]

Covid inquiry hears of ‘huge rollback’ in rights and support since pandemic

By John Pring on 31st July 2025 Category: Independent Living

Covid inquiry hears of ‘huge rollback’ in rights and support since pandemic
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Disabled people have undergone a “huge rollback” in their rights and social security support since the pandemic, a disability rights campaigner and adviser has told the Covid inquiry. Despite politicians promising they would be “building back better”, Joanne Sansome told the […]

Disabled people receiving care were ‘ignored by design’ during the pandemic, Covid inquiry hears

By John Pring on 3rd July 2025 Category: Human Rights

Disabled people receiving care were ‘ignored by design’ during the pandemic, Covid inquiry hears
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Four national disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) have told the Covid inquiry that people who receive care and support were “ignored by design” during the pandemic. The inquiry heard on Monday that there were more than 43,000 deaths involving COVID-19 in care […]

Combined impact of different aspects of pandemic on disabled people ‘felt relentless’, Covid inquiry hears

By John Pring on 20th February 2025 Category: Human Rights

Combined impact of different aspects of pandemic on disabled people ‘felt relentless’, Covid inquiry hears
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The impact of vaccine decisions, “do not attempt resuscitation” notices, school closures, cuts to care, and other aspects of the pandemic, had a combined effect on disabled people that “felt relentless”, three disabled people’s organisations have told the Covid inquiry. They […]

Covid inquiry ‘must examine’ pandemic’s steep rise in deaths of disabled people who receive care at home

By John Pring on 6th February 2025 Category: Independent Living

Covid inquiry ‘must examine’ pandemic’s steep rise in deaths of disabled people who receive care at home
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Four national disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) have called on the Covid public inquiry to examine why there was a huge increase in deaths of disabled people receiving care in their own homes across the UK during the pandemic. By May 2021, […]

It was emergency planning that was vulnerable during Covid, not disabled people, inquiry is told

By John Pring on 21st March 2024 Category: Human Rights

It was emergency planning that was vulnerable during Covid, not disabled people, inquiry is told
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It was the emergency planning systems that proved to be “vulnerable” during the Covid pandemic, and not disabled people, the UK Covid inquiry has been told by two national disabled people’s organisations (DPOs). Disability Wales and Disability Rights UK (DR UK) told the inquiry, […]

Rights ignored, no protection, no safety net, no real engagement, DPOs tell Covid inquiry

By John Pring on 14th December 2023 Category: Human Rights

Rights ignored, no protection, no safety net, no real engagement, DPOs tell Covid inquiry
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Disabled people were left without protection, written out of key investigations and proper consultation, and had their rights ignored by the UK government during the pandemic, four national disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) have told the Covid inquiry. They told the inquiry […]

Tomlinson’s ‘tokenistic’ engagement in early months of pandemic ‘was scandalous’

By John Pring on 16th November 2023 Category: Politics

Tomlinson’s ‘tokenistic’ engagement in early months of pandemic ‘was scandalous’
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The attitude of the former disability minister to engagement with disabled people during the early months of the pandemic has been described as “scandalous” and “tokenistic”, days after he gave evidence about it to the Covid inquiry. Justin Tomlinson, who was […]

Ministers ignored Covid care home warning at start of pandemic, inquiry hears

By John Pring on 12th October 2023 Category: Activism and Campaigning

Ministers ignored Covid care home warning at start of pandemic, inquiry hears
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Two ministers failed to respond when a disabled people’s organisation warned at the start of the pandemic that new government guidance would not be enough to protect care home residents, the Covid public inquiry has heard. Disability Rights UK (DR UK) […]

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Image of front cover of The Department, showing a crinkled memo with the words 'Restricted - Policy. The Department. How a Violent Government Bureaucracy Killed Hundreds and Hid the Evidence. John Pring.' Next to the image is a red box with the following words in white: 'A very interesting book... a very important contribution to this whole debate' - Sir Stephen Timms, minister for social security and disability. plutobooks.com and the Pluto Press logo.

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