Former Farnham MP and chancellor has been criticised for his failure to prepare for the Covid-19 pandemic in the first report into a series of inquiries into the pandemic.
Jeremy Hunt was the MP for Farnham in the South-West Surrey constituency between 2005 and 2024. The constituency was split into Farnham & Bordon and Godalming & Ash. Hunt is the current MP for the latter.
He was grilled about his role as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care between 2012 and 2018. The inquiry focused on his leadership in the role and whether he did what was necessary to protect the country from a global pandemic.
The first report published on Thursday, July 18 found the government had “failed” the public due to “significant flaws”, in preparing for a pandemic in the years before Covid-19.
The inquiry found governmental structures, “inadequate” planning and ministers not receiving enough of a range of scientific viewpoints, as the main cause of the failure of the Covid-19 response.
In its opening introduction the inquiry said: “Unless the lessons are learned, and fundamental change is implemented, that effort and cost will have been in vain when it comes to the next pandemic.”
Lessons had not been learned from the SARS and Ebola pandemics that primarily affected East Asia and Africa. The UK’s 2011 strategy was criticised for not being up to date despite multiple calls for a “refresh” in 2018 and 2019.
Mr Hunt said that he did not recall being advised that the 2011 strategy needed to be updated. Mr Hancock added that he had “no idea” why the strategy did not consider the approach taken by countries affected by SARS, so lessons could have been learned for the UK.
Accepting that the government did not put the effort into understanding other pandemics apart from Pandemic flu. The inquiry agreed when Hunt said “collectively we didn’t put anything like the time and effort and energy” into understanding the dangers of pathogens or challenging the consensus.
Speaking to the BBC on the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme on Sunday, July 21. Hunt said: “I apologise unreservedly to the families. That was the most terrible tragedy what happened to this country during Covid.”
He also urged the new government to take up the recommendations of Baroness Hallett’s 217-page report. Despite the main criticism of the inquiry deeming Cameron, Hunt and Hancock's roles in preparing the country as a failure.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the report showed the UK was "under-prepared for Covid-19", according to PA Media.
Hunt was recognised for his role in developing new protocols for how decisions were made after his involvement in Excercise Cynus in 2016. The exercise tested the UK’s response to a serious influenza pandemic.
Mr Hunt recalled being asked during the course of the exercise, to sanction the emptying of all intensive care beds in the country in order, it was said, to save more lives.