The Covid inquiry in Wales has begun, with accountability being at the forefront of the minds of bereaved families and figures responsible for protecting vulnerable people. Over the next three weeks, the focus will be on Welsh government decisions during the pandemic, including the timing of lockdowns, decisions taken differently to those made by the UK government and rationale. It will offer the opportunity for individuals to gain insight into policy justifications possibly leaving them feeling unsupported during the pandemic.
Ann Richards, bereaved widow of Eirwyn, who died from hospital-acquired Covid in January 2021, questions whether Eirwyn could have been discharged sooner, or if non-urgent healthcare had been running correctly, he may have avoided hospital altogether. Restrictions in place to contain the virus meant delays in receiving a tailor-made wheelchair, which hindered his discharge from hospital, leading Ann Richards to take it upon herself to travel over 60 miles to collect it.
Furthermore, care home manager, Gaynor Jones, felt unsupported throughout the pandemic due to the unworkable advice given by the government. For instance, isolating dementia patients is not practical. Instead, care homes established their own bubble, whereby staff did not leave for up to six weeks, and the homes didn’t suffer any Covid-related deaths.
The inquiry will assess the decisions made by advisors, officials and ministers regarding the pandemic. Among the core areas the inquiry will investigate are decisions made around lockdown and border controls, how well the Welsh government understood the “nature and spread” of Covid-19 during pre-lockdown times, and what sort of medical and scientific advice was used.
The inquiry will also consider whether the public messaging in Wales was effective, to prevent the spread of the virus further, as well as the private sentiments of politicians and advisors surrounding decision makers. Lastly, the inquiry will investigate whether fines and police stop checks during the pandemic were reasonable
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