Latest news with #CovidBereavedFamilies
Pembrokeshire Herald
14-05-2025
- Health
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Councillor urges men to get tested following stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis
Inquiry told failures in testing and tracing cost lives and left Wales unprepared THE UK Covid Inquiry has begun its latest public hearings with stark criticism of the UK and devolved governments' handling of testing, tracing and isolation strategies during the coronavirus pandemic. On the opening day of Module 7, which focuses on 'Test, Trace and Isolate' (TTI) systems, serious concerns were raised about the Welsh Government's effectiveness, coordination, and long-term preparedness. Covid pandemic: Council staff in Tenby in 2020 (Image: File) Sophie Cartwright KC, lead counsel to the Inquiry, laid out a damning picture of systemic disarray across the four nations, including Wales. She highlighted that despite early warnings and international advice, the Welsh Government did not fully roll out its Test, Trace, Protect strategy until mid-May 2020, by which time the virus had already swept through communities. The Inquiry heard that on 12 March 2020, all four UK nations, including Wales, stopped community testing and contact tracing—despite the World Health Organization's call to 'test, test, test.' Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, told a COBR meeting that day that mass testing and tracing would no longer be pursued, even as infections surged. The result was, as Cartwright put it, a 'disastrous blind spot' in surveillance and control. While countries like South Korea and Japan avoided national lockdowns through robust test-and-isolate systems, the UK suffered repeated waves. Professor Anthony Costello estimated that over 180,000 deaths might have been prevented had the UK adopted similar strategies. Emotional testimony: Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, who gave emotional evidence, represents Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru. She spoke on behalf of families in Wales who lost loved ones due to what they describe as 'avoidable government failings.' Her testimony underscored the human impact of delays in testing, isolation support and communication failures. Lack of preparedness and ignored lessons Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, representing Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, criticised the Welsh Government for failing to act on pandemic preparedness plans. She highlighted that Exercise Shipshape, a 2003 SARS simulation involving Wales, had already identified the importance of being able to test, trace and isolate effectively. Yet, none of those lessons were implemented. Marsh-Rees said there was a clear failure to build resilient infrastructure and no meaningful contingency planning, despite numerous simulations and warnings. Testing failures and wave two disaster Marsh-Rees gave a stark account of the absence of routine and repeat testing during the second wave of Covid-19 in Wales. She revealed that repeat testing of patients wasn't introduced until January 2021, and even then only every five days—compared to every three in England. Worse, healthcare workers were not regularly tested until February or March 2021, despite lateral flow tests being available from November 2020. She stated bluntly that this oversight contributed to Wales having the highest rate of hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections in the UK, calling it one of the group's most heartbreaking concerns. A sense the Welsh Government didn't want to know In her closing remarks, Marsh-Rees accused the Welsh Government of appearing as though it did not want to know if people were testing positive, implying that awareness would have triggered obligations to act. She pointed out that 178 people had contracted Covid in Welsh hospitals just last week, five years into the pandemic. 'Testing has been forgotten—or proactively not undertaken,' she said. 'It's like a concerted effort not to find out.' Her testimony called for an internationally informed overhaul of public health strategy and an end to political point scoring in future pandemic response. Missed opportunities in Wales Wales launched its Test, Trace, Protect plan on 13 May 2020. Then Health Minister Vaughan Gething promised increased capacity and localised response. But the Inquiry was told that testing capacity remained limited, with many key functions outsourced to UK-wide services like Lighthouse Labs and delivery partners like Amazon, rather than utilising existing NHS and university laboratories in Wales. A submission from the Royal College of Pathologists noted that many NHS and academic labs in the UK were sidelined, despite offering higher quality and faster results than the private facilities that were favoured instead. The Microbiology Society echoed these concerns, saying the government did not properly engage with universities and local experts in Wales and elsewhere. The Inquiry heard that by mid-2020, Wales had access to six drive-through test centres, eight mobile units and a handful of community testing sites—but by then the damage had already been done. Support for isolating 'too little, too late' The Welsh Government's Self-Isolation Support Scheme, launched in November 2020, was described as well-intentioned but too slow in implementation. Earlier schemes in Northern Ireland and England had started months prior. Evidence submitted highlighted how economic necessity led many to avoid testing to avoid losing income. 'I remember people saying, 'I can't test because if I test and I'm positive, I can't work,'' one person told the Inquiry. Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, representing Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, will give impact evidence later this week, speaking on behalf of families in Wales who lost loved ones due to what they describe as 'avoidable government failings.' Infrastructure dismantled Lord Bethell, who had responsibility for TTI at UK level, warned that the UK is now less prepared than ever for a future pandemic, with testing labs dismantled, data systems shut down, and public health infrastructure 'weaker than ever.' The Inquiry continues this week with further evidence from bereaved families, scientists, and public health experts from across the UK. Lady Hallett opened the TTI hearings on Monday (Pic: Covid Inquiry)
Pembrokeshire Herald
14-05-2025
- Health
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Tufnell secures pledge to improve GP access across Pembrokeshire
Inquiry told failures in testing and tracing cost lives and left Wales unprepared THE UK Covid Inquiry has begun its latest public hearings with stark criticism of the UK and devolved governments' handling of testing, tracing and isolation strategies during the coronavirus pandemic. On the opening day of Module 7, which focuses on 'Test, Trace and Isolate' (TTI) systems, serious concerns were raised about the Welsh Government's effectiveness, coordination, and long-term preparedness. Covid pandemic: Council staff in Tenby in 2020 (Image: File) Sophie Cartwright KC, lead counsel to the Inquiry, laid out a damning picture of systemic disarray across the four nations, including Wales. She highlighted that despite early warnings and international advice, the Welsh Government did not fully roll out its Test, Trace, Protect strategy until mid-May 2020, by which time the virus had already swept through communities. The Inquiry heard that on 12 March 2020, all four UK nations, including Wales, stopped community testing and contact tracing—despite the World Health Organization's call to 'test, test, test.' Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, told a COBR meeting that day that mass testing and tracing would no longer be pursued, even as infections surged. The result was, as Cartwright put it, a 'disastrous blind spot' in surveillance and control. While countries like South Korea and Japan avoided national lockdowns through robust test-and-isolate systems, the UK suffered repeated waves. Professor Anthony Costello estimated that over 180,000 deaths might have been prevented had the UK adopted similar strategies. Emotional testimony: Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, who gave emotional evidence, represents Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru. She spoke on behalf of families in Wales who lost loved ones due to what they describe as 'avoidable government failings.' Her testimony underscored the human impact of delays in testing, isolation support and communication failures. Lack of preparedness and ignored lessons Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, representing Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, criticised the Welsh Government for failing to act on pandemic preparedness plans. She highlighted that Exercise Shipshape, a 2003 SARS simulation involving Wales, had already identified the importance of being able to test, trace and isolate effectively. Yet, none of those lessons were implemented. Marsh-Rees said there was a clear failure to build resilient infrastructure and no meaningful contingency planning, despite numerous simulations and warnings. Testing failures and wave two disaster Marsh-Rees gave a stark account of the absence of routine and repeat testing during the second wave of Covid-19 in Wales. She revealed that repeat testing of patients wasn't introduced until January 2021, and even then only every five days—compared to every three in England. Worse, healthcare workers were not regularly tested until February or March 2021, despite lateral flow tests being available from November 2020. She stated bluntly that this oversight contributed to Wales having the highest rate of hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections in the UK, calling it one of the group's most heartbreaking concerns. A sense the Welsh Government didn't want to know In her closing remarks, Marsh-Rees accused the Welsh Government of appearing as though it did not want to know if people were testing positive, implying that awareness would have triggered obligations to act. She pointed out that 178 people had contracted Covid in Welsh hospitals just last week, five years into the pandemic. 'Testing has been forgotten—or proactively not undertaken,' she said. 'It's like a concerted effort not to find out.' Her testimony called for an internationally informed overhaul of public health strategy and an end to political point scoring in future pandemic response. Missed opportunities in Wales Wales launched its Test, Trace, Protect plan on 13 May 2020. Then Health Minister Vaughan Gething promised increased capacity and localised response. But the Inquiry was told that testing capacity remained limited, with many key functions outsourced to UK-wide services like Lighthouse Labs and delivery partners like Amazon, rather than utilising existing NHS and university laboratories in Wales. A submission from the Royal College of Pathologists noted that many NHS and academic labs in the UK were sidelined, despite offering higher quality and faster results than the private facilities that were favoured instead. The Microbiology Society echoed these concerns, saying the government did not properly engage with universities and local experts in Wales and elsewhere. The Inquiry heard that by mid-2020, Wales had access to six drive-through test centres, eight mobile units and a handful of community testing sites—but by then the damage had already been done. Support for isolating 'too little, too late' The Welsh Government's Self-Isolation Support Scheme, launched in November 2020, was described as well-intentioned but too slow in implementation. Earlier schemes in Northern Ireland and England had started months prior. Evidence submitted highlighted how economic necessity led many to avoid testing to avoid losing income. 'I remember people saying, 'I can't test because if I test and I'm positive, I can't work,'' one person told the Inquiry. Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, representing Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, will give impact evidence later this week, speaking on behalf of families in Wales who lost loved ones due to what they describe as 'avoidable government failings.' Infrastructure dismantled Lord Bethell, who had responsibility for TTI at UK level, warned that the UK is now less prepared than ever for a future pandemic, with testing labs dismantled, data systems shut down, and public health infrastructure 'weaker than ever.' The Inquiry continues this week with further evidence from bereaved families, scientists, and public health experts from across the UK. Lady Hallett opened the TTI hearings on Monday (Pic: Covid Inquiry)
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Elderly douple died after Covid ‘taken into house by carers'
A Northern Ireland woman whose parents succumbed to Covid -19 within a month of each other believes care workers inadvertently brought the virus into their home. Testifying before the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, Hazel Gray shared her heartbreaking experience, stating the infection was spread by "people doing their jobs", caring for vulnerable individuals like her parents. The inquiry's seventh module is currently scrutinising the effectiveness of test, trace, and isolate protocols implemented during the pandemic. Ms Gray described the enduring trauma of being unable to be with her parents in their final moments, saying they simply "disappeared." Her testimony underscores the devastating personal toll of the pandemic and raises questions about the safety measures in place to protect vulnerable individuals receiving in-home care. Ms Gray's parents, George and Violet Little, from Co Fermanagh, died in December 2020 and January 2021. They were 80 and 78 years old. Ms Gray, a member of the Northern Ireland Covid Bereaved Families for Justice group, told the inquiry on Tuesday that people in the region had presumed that 'things were being done' to prevent the spread of Covid. She said: 'Only when it came to my own doorstep did I realise that what I presumed was not happening at all. 'People who were working with vulnerable people – carers coming to my mother – were actually not being tested, nor were other healthcare workers. 'To me, it seemed to be a total lack of common sense; this was nine months into the pandemic. 'These people were actually spreading a virus and nothing was being done to counteract that.' The inquiry heard that Ms Gray's parents lived in a rural area and depended on carers who went to their house four times a day to move Mrs Little, who used a wheelchair. Counsel to the inquiry Sophie Cartwright asked Ms Gray if she was confident Covid was taken into her parents' house by the carers. Ms Gray said when her father first tested positive for the virus, she took a test herself. She said: 'I immediately went and had a test and I was negative, so I knew that it wasn't me that had passed the virus to them. 'My mum, we got her a postal test. Hers came back positive as well and then mine was positive. 'I am fairly confident I didn't bring the virus to them and nobody else would have been in the house other than the carers.' She said she spoke to the carers' manager and asked when they had been tested. She told the inquiry: 'His answer was, it wasn't the hospital trust policy to actually test carers who were going into the homes of vulnerable people. 'That was the shocking realisation that this was what was happening in the country – carers were going into the homes of people who were not tested.' Ms Gray said she sent a text message to then-health minister Robin Swann about the situation and he responded that he would look into it. She told the inquiry that her father died first, in December 2020, while her mother was in hospital. She said: 'I can't begin to imagine what it must have been like for my mother, knowing that my father had passed away and nobody was there with her to comfort her. 'They said on the day of my father's funeral she watched the clock.' Ms Gray also raised concerns about paramedics who attended to both her father and mother while wearing 'basic PPE '. She said: 'When I asked them did they get tested, they said no, who would do their jobs if they were going to be tested and come back positive? 'It was this attitude – 'If we don't get tested we won't know whether we are positive or not'. 'This virus was being spread by people who were doing their jobs and caring for people who were already sick. 'The process to me just did not make sense.' Ms Gray said she was not able to be with either of her parents when they died because of Covid restrictions. She said: 'If it had been an animal, a vet would encourage the animal's owner to be there with them to the very end. 'I, twice, didn't get that opportunity and so many people have had similar experiences. 'The trauma of not being there for your parents' last breaths will stay with me forever. 'My parents disappeared, I never saw them again.' Ms Gray added: 'My parents' lives were cut short. Their experience was horrendous – for me, for them, for the whole country. 'All those who were lost, their lives must not have meant nothing, they cannot have died in vain. 'We must have changes in this country that people never have to experience this kind of trauma over a virus again.'
Pembrokeshire Herald
14-05-2025
- Health
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Covid Inquiry: Welsh Government's pandemic response under fire
Inquiry told failures in testing and tracing cost lives and left Wales unprepared THE UK Covid Inquiry has begun its latest public hearings with stark criticism of the UK and devolved governments' handling of testing, tracing and isolation strategies during the coronavirus pandemic. On the opening day of Module 7, which focuses on 'Test, Trace and Isolate' (TTI) systems, serious concerns were raised about the Welsh Government's effectiveness, coordination, and long-term preparedness. Covid pandemic: Council staff in Tenby in 2020 (Image: File) Sophie Cartwright KC, lead counsel to the Inquiry, laid out a damning picture of systemic disarray across the four nations, including Wales. She highlighted that despite early warnings and international advice, the Welsh Government did not fully roll out its Test, Trace, Protect strategy until mid-May 2020, by which time the virus had already swept through communities. The Inquiry heard that on 12 March 2020, all four UK nations, including Wales, stopped community testing and contact tracing—despite the World Health Organization's call to 'test, test, test.' Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, told a COBR meeting that day that mass testing and tracing would no longer be pursued, even as infections surged. The result was, as Cartwright put it, a 'disastrous blind spot' in surveillance and control. While countries like South Korea and Japan avoided national lockdowns through robust test-and-isolate systems, the UK suffered repeated waves. Professor Anthony Costello estimated that over 180,000 deaths might have been prevented had the UK adopted similar strategies. Emotional testimony: Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, who gave emotional evidence, represents Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru. She spoke on behalf of families in Wales who lost loved ones due to what they describe as 'avoidable government failings.' Her testimony underscored the human impact of delays in testing, isolation support and communication failures. Lack of preparedness and ignored lessons Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, representing Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, criticised the Welsh Government for failing to act on pandemic preparedness plans. She highlighted that Exercise Shipshape, a 2003 SARS simulation involving Wales, had already identified the importance of being able to test, trace and isolate effectively. Yet, none of those lessons were implemented. Marsh-Rees said there was a clear failure to build resilient infrastructure and no meaningful contingency planning, despite numerous simulations and warnings. Testing failures and wave two disaster Marsh-Rees gave a stark account of the absence of routine and repeat testing during the second wave of Covid-19 in Wales. She revealed that repeat testing of patients wasn't introduced until January 2021, and even then only every five days—compared to every three in England. Worse, healthcare workers were not regularly tested until February or March 2021, despite lateral flow tests being available from November 2020. She stated bluntly that this oversight contributed to Wales having the highest rate of hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections in the UK, calling it one of the group's most heartbreaking concerns. A sense the Welsh Government didn't want to know In her closing remarks, Marsh-Rees accused the Welsh Government of appearing as though it did not want to know if people were testing positive, implying that awareness would have triggered obligations to act. She pointed out that 178 people had contracted Covid in Welsh hospitals just last week, five years into the pandemic. 'Testing has been forgotten—or proactively not undertaken,' she said. 'It's like a concerted effort not to find out.' Her testimony called for an internationally informed overhaul of public health strategy and an end to political point scoring in future pandemic response. Missed opportunities in Wales Wales launched its Test, Trace, Protect plan on 13 May 2020. Then Health Minister Vaughan Gething promised increased capacity and localised response. But the Inquiry was told that testing capacity remained limited, with many key functions outsourced to UK-wide services like Lighthouse Labs and delivery partners like Amazon, rather than utilising existing NHS and university laboratories in Wales. A submission from the Royal College of Pathologists noted that many NHS and academic labs in the UK were sidelined, despite offering higher quality and faster results than the private facilities that were favoured instead. The Microbiology Society echoed these concerns, saying the government did not properly engage with universities and local experts in Wales and elsewhere. The Inquiry heard that by mid-2020, Wales had access to six drive-through test centres, eight mobile units and a handful of community testing sites—but by then the damage had already been done. Support for isolating 'too little, too late' The Welsh Government's Self-Isolation Support Scheme, launched in November 2020, was described as well-intentioned but too slow in implementation. Earlier schemes in Northern Ireland and England had started months prior. Evidence submitted highlighted how economic necessity led many to avoid testing to avoid losing income. 'I remember people saying, 'I can't test because if I test and I'm positive, I can't work,'' one person told the Inquiry. Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, representing Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, will give impact evidence later this week, speaking on behalf of families in Wales who lost loved ones due to what they describe as 'avoidable government failings.' Infrastructure dismantled Lord Bethell, who had responsibility for TTI at UK level, warned that the UK is now less prepared than ever for a future pandemic, with testing labs dismantled, data systems shut down, and public health infrastructure 'weaker than ever.' The Inquiry continues this week with further evidence from bereaved families, scientists, and public health experts from across the UK. Lady Hallett opened the TTI hearings on Monday (Pic: Covid Inquiry)
The Independent
13-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Couple died after Covid ‘taken into house by carers', daughter tells inquiry
A woman whose parents died of Covid a month apart during the pandemic has told a public inquiry she believes the infection was taken into their house by carers. Hazel Gray, from Northern Ireland, told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry that the virus was spread by 'people doing their jobs', caring for the vulnerable. She said the trauma of not being able to be with her parents when they died will stay with her forever, adding that her mother and father 'disappeared'. Module seven of the inquiry is examining test, trace and isolate policies adopted during the pandemic. Ms Gray's parents, George and Violet Little, from Co Fermanagh, died in December 2020 and January 2021. They were 80 and 78 years old. Ms Gray, a member of the Northern Ireland Covid Bereaved Families for Justice group, told the inquiry on Tuesday that people in the region had presumed that 'things were being done' to prevent the spread of Covid. She said: 'Only when it came to my own doorstep did I realise that what I presumed was not happening at all. ' People who were working with vulnerable people – carers coming to my mother – were actually not being tested, nor were other healthcare workers. 'To me, it seemed to be a total lack of common sense; this was nine months into the pandemic. 'These people were actually spreading a virus and nothing was being done to counteract that.' The inquiry heard that Ms Gray's parents lived in a rural area and depended on carers who went to their house four times a day to move Mrs Little, who used a wheelchair. Counsel to the inquiry Sophie Cartwright asked Ms Gray if she was confident Covid was taken into her parents' house by the carers. Ms Gray said when her father first tested positive for the virus, she took a test herself. She said: 'I immediately went and had a test and I was negative, so I knew that it wasn't me that had passed the virus to them. 'My mum, we got her a postal test. Hers came back positive as well and then mine was positive. 'I am fairly confident I didn't bring the virus to them and nobody else would have been in the house other than the carers.' She said she spoke to the carers' manager and asked when they had been tested. She told the inquiry: 'His answer was, it wasn't the hospital trust policy to actually test carers who were going into the homes of vulnerable people. 'That was the shocking realisation that this was what was happening in the country – carers were going into the homes of people who were not tested.' Ms Gray said she sent a text message to then-health minister Robin Swann about the situation and he responded that he would look into it. She told the inquiry that her father died first, in December 2020, while her mother was in hospital. She said: 'I can't begin to imagine what it must have been like for my mother, knowing that my father had passed away and nobody was there with her to comfort her. 'They said on the day of my father's funeral she watched the clock.' Ms Gray also raised concerns about paramedics who attended to both her father and mother while wearing 'basic PPE'. She said: 'When I asked them did they get tested, they said no, who would do their jobs if they were going to be tested and come back positive? 'It was this attitude – 'If we don't get tested we won't know whether we are positive or not'. 'This virus was being spread by people who were doing their jobs and caring for people who were already sick. 'The process to me just did not make sense.' Ms Gray said she was not able to be with either of her parents when they died because of Covid restrictions. She said: 'If it had been an animal, a vet would encourage the animal's owner to be there with them to the very end. 'I, twice, didn't get that opportunity and so many people have had similar experiences. 'The trauma of not being there for your parents' last breaths will stay with me forever. 'My parents disappeared, I never saw them again.' Ms Gray added: 'My parents' lives were cut short. Their experience was horrendous – for me, for them, for the whole country. 'All those who were lost, their lives must not have meant nothing, they cannot have died in vain. 'We must have changes in this country that people never have to experience this kind of trauma over a virus again.'
