The handling of the first phase of the pandemic in the UK was one of the worst public health failures:
British MPs denounce it
in a report.
The government's approach, supported by its scientists, was to try to manage the situation to gain herd immunity, with a delay in the introduction of the first lockdown, which cost lives.
The document, drafted by a committee of experts and parliamentarians from all sides and chaired by former Conservative ministers Jeremy Hunt and Greg Clark, found that there were also
"big results", such as the vaccination campaign
.
The report, featured in all national media, was drafted by the Health and Social Care Committee and the Science and Technology Committee, made up of parliamentarians from all political parties.
150 pages describe the failures, but also the successes of the government in managing the pandemic, which has been
called the "greatest challenge in peacetime"
for a century.
The approach adopted by ministers and scientists has been described as "fatalistic", causing a surge in victims (so far 150,000) and in the UK the situation has been "significantly worse" than in other countries.
The crisis has revealed
"major shortcomings in the government machinery
"And while the country was one of the first to develop a test for Covid in January 2020, it" wasted "its lead. At the same time, successes such as vaccine research and development were highlighted," one of the most effective initiatives in UK history. "The UK has achieved" some great achievements and made some great mistakes.
It is essential to learn from both, "he concludes. A government spokesman replied that swift action to save lives has never been lacking and the collapse of the national health system has been avoided, but at the same time the investigation will be taken into account. Labor, on the other hand, highlighted the "monumental mistakes" committed by the Johnson government.
