Responding to the official start of the UK COVID-19 Public Inquiry by chair Baroness Hallett, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Pat Cullen, said:
“Baroness Hallett’s commitment to place inequalities and the voices of those not often heard at the heart of the inquiry will be appreciated by nursing staff, who too often felt invisible during the pandemic.
“For more than two years nurses and nursing support workers in hospitals, the community, social care, within the NHS and care homes have been on the front line. The day to day realities of COVID-19 are still very present.
“Too many nursing staff are still suffering with long COVID. Too many lost friends and colleagues. The RCN will raise the voice of nursing throughout the inquiry to hold decision-makers to account.
“The inquiry must take stock of the damage that the pandemic has done to our health and care services and look ahead to ensure nursing staff are never left unprotected again.”
