The health service ombudsman has said that the government must set out plans for an inquiry into the way it has handled the coronavirus pandemic.
Rob Behrens, the ombudsman in question, has said that the inquiry was in no way intended to blame staff, but was instead directed at "learning lessons". He voiced particular concern about cancelled cancer treatments during the pandemic, and inaccurate Covid-19 test results.
While ministers are yet to commit to holding an inquiry, they have accepted that lessons must be learnt.
While the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman did not investigate any complaints against the NHS after 26 March to allow them to focus on the Covid-19 outbreak, members of the public continued to phone in with other concerns.
Behrens said that: "Complaining when something has gone wrong should not be about criticising doctors, nurses or other front-line public servants, who have often been under extraordinary pressure dealing with the Covid-19 crisis.”
He continued that the inquiry is “about identifying where things have gone wrong systematically and making sure lessons are learned so mistakes are not repeated.”
It is his belief that the experiences of those who used the NHS services during the pandemic ought to be considered when conducting the inquiry, and that an "independent, swift and urgent" examination could help develop policies should there be a second wave of the virus to contend with.
The ombudsman had written to the government in mid-May asking about a future inquiry. He is yet to receive a response.
