Responding to the Prime Minister's statement to the Commons today (Wednesday 12 May) and the announcement of an independent COVID-19 inquiry to take place in Spring 2022, RCN Acting General Secretary and Chief Executive, Pat Cullen, said:
"The PM has assured the nation today that the long-awaited Covid-19 public inquiry will have a statutory footing, which is what nursing staff expect if lessons are to be truly learned. But a year is too long to wait.
“A full public independent inquiry is the only the way the Government, its agencies and advisors, will ensure it truly reflects and learns. In that inquiry, we expect the nursing voice, in all four countries, integral to the response to the pandemic, to be represented at all levels.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.
