Menu
Mon, 4 December 2023

Newsletter sign-up

Subscribe now
Search

Follow us:

Articles tagged with: covid
Matt Hancock Admits His Covid Rulebreaking Was Damaging To Public Confidence
Coronavirus
Matt Hancock Admits His Covid Rulebreaking Was Damaging To Public Confidence
Former health secretary Matt Hancock has admitted that his "transgression" – having an affair with his aide which broke social distancing rules – might have damaged public confidence and the likelihood of the wider population adhering to the rules themselves.
Chris Whitty Says Government Was 'Too Late' To Act In First Wave Of Covid-19 Pandemic
Coronavirus
Chris Whitty Says Government Was "Too Late" To Act In First Wave Of Covid-19 Pandemic
The UK government was "a bit too late" to intervene in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, according to top medical adviser to the government Professor Chris Whitty.
Boris Johnson Was 'Bamboozled' By Scientific Advice During Covid Pandemic
Coronavirus
Boris Johnson Was "Bamboozled" By Scientific Advice During Covid Pandemic
Former prime minister Boris Johnson was "bamboozled" by much of the scientific advice given during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the government's top scientific adviser.
I was ridiculed for my views on Covid-19 – it turns out I was right
Coronavirus
By Caprice Bourret
I was ridiculed for my views on Covid-19 – it turns out I was right
In March 2020, as the world grappled with the emerging Covid-19 pandemic, I found myself in an unexpected position, participating in a TV debate style show to discuss the right approach to tackling this new virus.
Going digital: Will the public realise the value of digitising NHS data?
Health
By Sophie Church
Going digital: Will the public realise the value of digitising NHS data?
The NHS is about to make it far easier for hospitals to share data, including patient records, in the latest stage of its digitisation drive. But is enough being done to win public backing for moves to realise its huge value, asks Sophie Church
Chief Scientific Adviser Lucy Chappell: 'You have to be thoughtful about how you describe uncertainty'
Health
By Sophie Church
Chief Scientific Adviser Lucy Chappell: "You have to be thoughtful about how you describe uncertainty"
Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care, was in the trenches at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, before she took up her government role in August 2021. Two years on, she speaks to Sophie Church about the role of advisers during that time, the next pandemic, and tackling problems in the NHS
Why disability benefit claims are surging in the UK
Health
By Chaminda Jayanetti
Why disability benefit claims are surging in the UK
Disability benefit claims have surged in the last two years, taking in multiple health conditions and all age groups. Is it the effect of the pandemic, the consequences of NHS waiting lists, or in response to rising living costs? Chaminda Jayanetti digs into the data. Illustration by Tracy Worrall
How Covid-19 testing saved lives Partner content
Health
By University of Sussex
How Covid-19 testing saved lives
University of Sussex research provides clear evidence that high-capacity, responsive test, trace and isolate systems can prevent deaths in a pandemic.
Ghost children: How lockdown crippled school attendance
Education
By Harriet Sergeant
Ghost children: How lockdown crippled school attendance
In the wake of the pandemic, a staggering 1.7 million children are missing the equivalent of a morning a week of school. Author and journalist Harriet Sergeant argues that in the wake of the pandemic, the government has let children down
Government Planned To Let A Pandemic Spread Like 'Wildfire'
Political parties
Government Planned To Let A Pandemic Spread Like "Wildfire"
Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has told the Covid inquiry there was a shared “assumption” across Western Europe that the only way to deal with a future pandemic was to let it rip through the population like “wildfire”.
The emergency is officially over – but COVID-19 management remains key to NHS recovery Partner content
Health
By Pfizer UK
The emergency is officially over – but COVID-19 management remains key to NHS recovery
Pfizer UK's John McGinley explains how a flexible approach to COVID-19 management can offer the best outcomes for patients and the NHS.
Treasury Had 'No Planning' For Lockdowns As Pandemic Response
Coronavirus
Treasury Had "No Planning" For Lockdowns As Pandemic Response
Former chancellor George Osborne has told the Covid Inquiry that there was “no planning” in the Treasury for lockdowns as a response to a possible future pandemic.
Penny Mordaunt Asks MPs To Do 'What Is Right' On Boris Johnson Partygate Vote
Coronavirus
Penny Mordaunt Asks MPs To Do "What Is Right" On Boris Johnson Partygate Vote
Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt has said the vote over sanctions on Boris Johnson will be a “painful process” for MPs but that they should be “left alone” to “do what we think is right”.
Boris Johnson Would Have Received 90 Day Ban For Misleading Parliament On Partygate
Coronavirus
Boris Johnson Would Have Received 90 Day Ban For Misleading Parliament On Partygate
The Privileges Committee would have recommended banning Boris Johnson from attending parliament for 90 days as a sanction for misleading parliament over what he knew about Downing Street parties held during lockdown, had he not already resigned as an MP. 
Government To Launch Legal Action Against Covid Inquiry Over Boris Johnson WhatsApps
Health
Government To Launch Legal Action Against Covid Inquiry Over Boris Johnson WhatsApps
The Cabinet Office is seeking a judicial review over whether the Covid inquiry has the power to request Boris Johnson's personal WhatsApps and diaries from his time in Downing Street during the pandemic, which the government has argued are "unambiguously irrelevant".
Top Stories: Barclay Admits Government Is Not Building 40 New Hospitals, Price Caps on Food
Health
Top Stories: Barclay Admits Government Is Not Building 40 New Hospitals, Price Caps on Food
The health secretary has admitted the government is not building 40 brand new hospitals, but insisted this does not break a key Conservative manifesto pledge.
Government Has Got Rid Of Over 3 Billion Pieces Of Unused Covid PPE
Health
Government Has Got Rid Of Over 3 Billion Pieces Of Unused Covid PPE
The government has removed billions of items of PPE it bought during the pandemic from its stocks, with more than one billion pieces set to be incinerated.
MP Who Breached Covid Rules Could Face 30-Day Suspension
Political parties
MP Who Breached Covid Rules Could Face 30-Day Suspension
Parliament's committee on standards has recommended a 30-day suspension for MP Margaret Ferrier who travelled across the country by train with Covid during the tightest lockdown restrictions in 2020.


Top Stories: James Cleverly Signs Off Windsor Framework With EU, £1bn Lost Covid Grants
Home affairs
Top Stories: James Cleverly Signs Off Windsor Framework With EU, £1bn Lost Covid Grants
Rishi Sunak’s Windsor Framework for Northern Ireland is due to receive final sign off today at a meeting between Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and vice-president of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič.
Privileges Committee Believes Boris Johnson May Have Misled House On Partygate
Parliament
Privileges Committee Believes Boris Johnson May Have Misled House On Partygate
The privileges committee has summoned Boris Johnson to give evidence on whether he misled parliament over what he knew about lockdown parties in Downing Street following the release of their report into what issues will be raised with the former prime minister.
Top Stories: Labour Sets Sights On Sue Gray, SNP Leadership Hustings Begin, Tories Hold Away Day
Coronavirus
Top Stories: Labour Sets Sights On Sue Gray, SNP Leadership Hustings Begin, Tories Hold Away Day
Labour is reportedly making moves to hire Sue Gray, the top civil servant who produced last year's damning Partygate report into Covid lawbreaking in Downing Street during lockdown.
The show must go on: an interview with Kate Varah
Culture
By Nadine Batchelor-Hunt
The show must go on: an interview with Kate Varah
National Theatre executive director Kate Varah is fiercely proud of the institution and the levelling up opportunities it offers for the country. However, with a series of economic challenges on the horizon following Covid, she tells Nadine Batchelor-Hunt she’s concerned about the “headwinds” it is facing.
Lessons worth learning: Lord Darzi reviews Matt Hancock's 'Pandemic Diaries'
Books & culture
By Lord Darzi
Lessons worth learning: Lord Darzi reviews Matt Hancock's 'Pandemic Diaries'
An unputdownable account, Matt Hancock’s version of events benefits from the one asset not available during a crisis – hindsight
Nurses Want To 'Meet Halfway' On Pay, MPs Urged To Stay Out Of Prince Harry Revelations
Health
Nurses Want To "Meet Halfway" On Pay, MPs Urged To Stay Out Of Prince Harry Revelations
The head of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has asked Health Secretary Steve Barclay to “meet me halfway” on a nurses pay deal in order to end strikes, with industrial action in the NHS set to continue later this month.