On 20 November 2025, the UK Covid Inquiry published its newest report, examining government decision‑making and political governance during the pandemic.

Its verdict is stark: the UK’s response was repeatedly “too little, too late”. Delays in lockdown cost tens of thousands of lives, while a toxic culture at the heart of government undermined effective decision‑making.
Although this module does not yet examine the role of primary care, the findings carry important lessons for practices. We cannot afford to wait for future reports before reflecting on our own input into Covid handling — and how we prepare for the next crisis.

Most experts agree it is not a question of if, but when.

What the Report Said

• Lockdown delay: 23,000 deaths in England could have been avoided had lockdown started a week earlier.
• Toxic culture: Chaotic leadership, sidelined voices, and poor communication undermined decision‑making.
• Devolved governments: Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland also faltered, with slow responses and repeated mistakes.
• Recommendations: 19 reforms, including clearer emergency structures, better communication, and stronger consideration of vulnerable groups.

What It Means for Primary Care

Even though primary care is not yet formally examined, the themes resonate with my frontline experience:

• Clarity matters: Just as government struggled with communication, practices were left to interpret shifting guidance. We need robust systems for translating policy into clear, actionable steps.
• Preparedness is non‑negotiable: National shortages mirrored the local kit and staffing gaps we faced.
• Practices must stress‑test their own contingency plans.
• Culture shapes resilience: Toxic cultures at the top remind us how vital team spirit was at the frontline.
• Collaboration, respect, and shared responsibility carried us through.
• Frontline voices must be heard: The Inquiry shows the danger of decision‑making detached from reality. 

Future planning must embed the perspective of practice managers and all primary care teams.

Reviewing Our Input

Primary care bore the brunt of patient care during Covid. We worked without adequate kit, improvised under unclear guidance, and delivered the vaccine rollout with extraordinary efficiency.
The Inquiry may not yet have recognised this, but we who worked on the frontline know it. That is why this report is not just about government failings — it is a prompt for us to review our own input:

•     How did our practice adapt under pressure?
•     What worked well in our vaccine clinics and patient communication?
•     Where were the gaps in planning, kit, or staffing?
•     How can we embed those lessons into future contingency plans?

Have we updated our business continuity plans with lessons learnt?

Looking Ahead

Future Inquiry modules will examine healthcare systems and vaccines, and primary care will finally be formally represented. But we don’t need to wait. The lessons are already clear: preparedness, clarity, culture, and inclusion of frontline voices.

The challenge now is to take these findings — even though they are about government — and apply them to our own planning. Because when the next crisis comes, it will be practices once again carrying the burden of patient care.

The Covid Inquiry report is a sobering indictment of government handling. But it is also a reminder that every part of the system must learn lessons now.

Primary care may not yet be under the spotlight, but we know our role was central.

Where national leadership faltered, local teams rose. Where kit was lacking, ingenuity filled the gap. Where guidance was unclear, managers provided clarity. And where fear threatened to overwhelm, team spirit carried the day.

The Inquiry’s findings should spur us to review, reflect, and plan. Because resilience is not built in reports — it is built in practices, day by day, ready for whatever comes next.