‘I’m still haunted that he died alone’: The last voices of the Covid inquiry.

Rivka Gottlieb shared the profound grief and lingering trauma of her father, Michael, dying alone during the Covid-19 pandemic, a heartbreaking account delivered on the final day of witness hearings at the UK’s Covid inquiry. Michael, described as a vibrant 73-year-old who remained active through part-time work and teaching at his local synagogue, was admitted to the Royal Free Hospital in north London alongside his wife, Mili, in March 2020, just as the nation entered its first lockdown. What was initially expected to be a brief hospital stay for mild Covid symptoms turned into a devastating ordeal.

Michael’s condition deteriorated rapidly. His respiratory distress became so severe that he had to communicate his impending intubation via a WhatsApp message. Two weeks later, the family received the devastating news that he would not recover and that his life support would be withdrawn. "It was a dark and terrifying time," Rivka recalled, her voice heavy with the enduring pain of those days, "and difficult to get updates from the hospital. I feared the worst every time the phone rang." Her mother, Mili, was discharged after a week but continues to suffer from the long-term effects of the virus, including persistent breathlessness, confusion, and stomach pains, profoundly impacting her quality of life and confining her largely to her home.

Rivka’s testimony was among the final poignant narratives presented at the inquiry, which has dedicated over eight hours in its closing week to hearing from bereaved families. Since public hearings commenced in June 2023, the inquiry has amassed a staggering volume of evidence, examining over 600,000 documents and hearing oral testimony from 381 witnesses across London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast. The inquiry has delved into the highest echelons of government, questioning prime ministers, senior officials, and scientists, but crucially, it has also amplified the voices of those directly on the front lines and those who suffered the most profound losses – porters, cleaners, care workers, nurses in Covid wards, and, most significantly, the families who lost loved ones.

The scale of the inquiry is matched by its considerable cost. It has already emerged as one of the most expensive in UK history, with total expenditure rising to £204 million to date. The government alone has incurred an additional £111 million in its own legal and staffing expenses. The final series of hearings this winter focused on the wider societal impact of the pandemic, examining the closure of sporting, cultural, and religious venues, the disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups, and the significant toll on the mental health of the nation. Between March 2020 and May 2023, when the World Health Organization declared an end to the global health emergency, more than 227,000 people died with Covid-19 as a contributing factor on their death certificate.

Of the 42 relatives who have given evidence since the inquiry began, 12 were selected to share their stories over the final two days of hearings. Their testimonies consistently highlighted the devastating impact of social distancing measures, which tore families apart and prevented loved ones from being present at the bedside of the dying. Glen Grundle from Coleraine in Northern Ireland recounted the agonizing farewell to his mother, Milda, 73, who died in April 2020. "My mum left in an ambulance and I never saw her again. The doors shut and that was it," he said, expressing a profound lack of closure and peace.

Many families spoke of immense difficulties in obtaining information from care homes and hospitals, often feeling unable to ask pertinent questions or that the true severity of their relatives’ conditions was not adequately communicated. The inquiry also addressed the profound grief and isolation experienced during the pandemic, including restrictions on funerals. At various points, mourner numbers were severely limited, and social distancing rules prevented families from offering physical comfort to their grieving relatives. Michael Gottlieb’s funeral in April 2020 was attended by only nine people, including the rabbi, with the remainder of his family forced to watch memorial prayers via a video link. Rivka described the surreal unreality of the situation, her mother’s complete isolation, and the profound, complex, and far-reaching impact of her grief. She lamented the inability to hug her mother or participate in the Jewish ritual of throwing earth onto her father’s coffin.

Families from Scotland and Northern Ireland shared similar experiences of being unable to hold traditional wakes, while others described returning to empty homes after funerals, grappling with their grief in complete solitude. Sharon Boswell spoke of the profound loneliness after her husband George died from Covid in February 2021, aged 52. "I remember sitting on the sofa, the TV was on, but no one was home with me," she recounted. "And I thought: I’m sitting here by myself, I’ve just had a funeral for my husband. I felt very isolated, I felt alone, I felt unhappy, just everything you possibly could feel."

The Covid inquiry, under the chairmanship of former judge Baroness Hallett, was established in 2021 by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson. It has been structured into 10 distinct modules, investigating a wide range of issues from political decision-making to the vaccine rollout and the impact on children. Although public hearings have concluded, Baroness Hallett will continue to compile her findings and formulate recommendations for ministers. Two reports have been published to date, focusing on pandemic planning and major political decisions, with the remaining eight sets of findings anticipated by summer 2027.

The substantial cost and scale of the inquiry have faced criticism. Boris Johnson himself has questioned its efficacy, stating last year that it had not revealed "a single new or interesting fact into the public domain." The TaxPayers’ Alliance has also decried it as a waste of money. In response, on the final day of hearings, Baroness Hallett expressed her hope that all 10 of her reports would "prove the value of this inquiry and justify the costs." She acknowledged the significant expenditure and time commitment but maintained her belief that the process has been worthwhile.

Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, a group representing around 7,000 members, while acknowledging the vital nature of the inquiry’s work, has called for greater efficiency and a less adversarial approach in public inquiries. However, the group has lauded the published reports as "damning" and remains committed to advocating for the government’s implementation of Baroness Hallett’s recommendations. "Six years on and people have forgotten what happened," Rivka told the BBC, expressing a desire for personal closure but also a deep-seated concern for future preparedness. "And I want to forget what’s happened as well, so I can understand that. But there will be crises in the future and I’m worried that the lessons of the pandemic will just not be learnt."

Separate inquiries are underway in Scotland, with initial findings expected this year, and bereaved families in Wales continue to advocate for an independent inquiry, a call now supported by opposition parties in the Senedd.

Katherine Poole delivered the very last testimony to the UK inquiry. Her father, John, 62, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, was admitted to a mental health hospital in early March 2020. As the pandemic escalated, visitors were banned. Later that month, John became critically unwell with low oxygen levels and was transferred to a general hospital, where he died from Covid four days later. "The last thing my dad said to me was, ‘You won’t leave me, will you?’" Katherine tearfully recalled, her voice echoing the profound sense of abandonment, albeit involuntary. "That will stay with me forever because, ultimately, I did leave him. Not through my own choice, but through what happened."

After 238 days, spanning over 1,000 hours of hearings, Katherine’s father’s story marked the conclusion of the evidence phase. As she stepped down, Baroness Hallett confirmed, "Mrs Poole, did you know you are the last witness… very last witness of the inquiry?" Katherine, who had been informed that morning, smiled gently. Baroness Hallett then paused briefly before declaring, "Very well… and that completes the evidence."