Covid Inquiry: Mistake not to consider range of pandemics - David Cameron

Former Prime Minister David Cameron has said it was a "mistake" not to see antithetic types of diseases erstwhile preparing for aboriginal pandemics.

Giving grounds to the Covid Inquiry, Mr Cameron said "group think" meant his authorities did not absorption capable connected pandemics different than flu.

He besides denied that his government's austerity policies damaged the UK's quality to header with Covid.

The enquiry is presently considering preparedness up of the pandemic.

George Osborne and Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor and wellness caput nether Mr Cameron, volition springiness grounds to the enquiry aboriginal this week.

Questioned by the inquiry's lawyer Kate Blackwell KC, Mr Cameron said: "Much much clip was spent connected pandemic flu and the dangers of pandemic flu alternatively than connected imaginable pandemics of other, much respiratory diseases, similar Covid turned retired to be.

"This is truthful important - truthful galore consequences followed from that."

The Conservative erstwhile person said that connected becoming premier curate helium had sought to amended the UK's readying for risks by changing authorities structures, including by mounting up a National Security Council.

However, helium added that determination was "always a information of radical deliberation - possibly that is what is happening here".

"I deliberation the failing was not to inquire much questions astir asymptomatic transmission."

The Inquiry besides heard from Sir Chris Wormald, imperishable caput astatine the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

He, too, was asked astir the government's absorption connected influenza preparations successful its pandemic-planning.

"The attack taken was fundamentally acceptable for flu, acceptable for anything," helium said.

Clara Swinson, who has headed up the DHSC's planetary wellness part since 2016, besides spoke during Monday's hearing.

Referring to a UK-wide pandemic strategy, she said "there would've been immoderate areas that were worthy updating", since the lone 1 was from 2011.

Turning to the absorption connected influenza, she added: "We had reflected successful the caller pandemic portfolio a designation that we would similar the strategy to beryllium on each of the antithetic routes of transmission."

Asked whether this was a mistake successful hindsight, Ms Swinson said she thought it was "a tenable determination astatine the time".

Mr Cameron was besides pressed connected whether his austerity policies hampered the UK's resilience erstwhile facing the pandemic.

At a proceeding held past week, Sir Michael Marmot, a prof of epidemiology astatine University College London that the UK had entered the coronavirus pandemic with "depleted" nationalist services.

Mr Cameron said helium didn't judge that statement and defended the austerity thrust overseen by his government.

He said it was needed to get the nationalist finances successful bid and without doing truthful determination would person been little wealth for the NHS.

"Your wellness strategy is lone arsenic beardown arsenic your system - 1 pays for the other."

He besides pointed retired that portion different nationalist services were cut, the NHS was really protected by his government.

During his premiership, the NHS fund roseate by an mean of 1% to 2% aft inflation.

However, this compares to an mean of 4% during the remainder of the wellness service's past - truthful portion the fund did rise, the fig inactive represented a compression overall.

And it is simply a large crushed wherefore waiting times person worsened and the UK has less unit and beds per caput than galore different occidental European countries.

Other areas of wellness spending - specified arsenic grooming and nationalist wellness - were not protected.

However, it is worthy noting the Conservatives were not unsocial successful advocating this approach. At some the 2010 and 2015 elections Labour was not promising importantly much for the NHS.