Matt Hancock, the former health secretary, strongly criticized Britain’s inadequate planning for a potential pandemic prior to the coronavirus crisis. During his testimony to the Covid Inquiry, he condemned the focus on preparing for the aftermath of a disaster rather than preventing the spread of a dangerous disease. Hancock highlighted issues with the distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the lack of a mass-testing plan, reliance on foreign vaccine manufacturers, and the absence of stockpiles of antivirals for coronaviruses. The Inquiry was presented with a document that revealed the high risk of an infectious disease outbreak, but the mitigation plans were left blank.
In his testimony, Hancock focused on the government’s preparedness for a pandemic before the Covid crisis, as the inquiry will examine the actions of ministers during the 2020 outbreak separately. Hancock became health secretary in July 2018 and immediately expressed concerns about the lack of domestic vaccine manufacturing in the UK. However, planning for a potential pandemic was not one of his main priorities, as he focused on implementing technological advancements in the NHS, addressing obesity, and increasing healthcare staff numbers. He relied on assurances that the UK was well-prepared for a pandemic, which turned out to be incorrect.
Hancock acknowledged that there were plans in place for various aspects of pandemic response, such as stockpiles of PPE and the ability to develop tests quickly. However, there were no plans for scaling up testing or stockpiling antivirals for coronaviruses. Additionally, the UK was heavily reliant on vaccine manufacturing overseas, which posed challenges during a pandemic. Hancock insisted on domestic vaccine manufacturing to mitigate the risk of relying on foreign suppliers.
Hancock criticized the flawed approach to planning in Whitehall prior to 2020, emphasizing the need to focus on preventing a disaster rather than dealing with its consequences. He pointed out that pandemic planning should prioritize efforts to suppress the virus and stop the disaster from occurring in the first place. During the inquiry, Hancock was questioned about the empty boxes in a risk register document, but he could not explain why they were left blank. However, he assured the inquiry that significant efforts were underway in the Department of Health and Public Health England to prepare for a potential pandemic.
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