Grieving son welcomes 'cathartic' Covid report

Matt Fowler, centre, co-founded the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign group

A man who lost his father during the Covid pandemic has said the release of the inquiry’s report was “cathartic” for himself and many other families.

Matt Fowler from Nuneaton, who co-founded Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, described Baroness Hallett’s report as “damning” and “a step in the right direction”.

The report released on Thursday identified flaws in the UK’s preparations for such an emergency and said it caused more deaths than it should have.

Mr Fowler, whose father Ian died in April 2020, said the report's publication was a lot more emotional than he expected it to be.

“It is very public but also very intimate for a lot of us,” the 36-year-old said.

“To finally see that sort of report and the sort of things being said – it was very cathartic.”

He said the document was “very clear” in its criticism, which included accusing the government of "failing citizens" and planning for the wrong pandemic.

Mr Fowler said: “To finally have what we’ve been saying all along put in black and white, that the UK was not prepared for any emergency, let alone an emergency like this, was really vindicating and validating for all of us.”

'Welcome step'

A number of recommendations were made by Baroness Hallett, including a fundamental reform of the UK government and devolved nations’ preparedness for civil emergencies.

Despite welcoming these, Mr Fowler said they did not go far enough, highlighting issues like health inequalities and funding of public services.

He said he was under no illusion that his work was done, adding: “I’m 36 and I fully expect that my work around the Covid inquiry is going to take up most of the rest of my life.

“This is going to take some time yet but it is definitely a very welcome step in the right direction.”

Responding to the report’s publication, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the safety and security of the country should always be the first priority.

"This government is committed to learning the lessons from the inquiry and putting better measures in place to protect and prepare us from the impact of any future pandemic,” he added.