Covid Inquiry Module 8

The Chair of the Covid Inquiry announced that the Inquiry would be split into modules, with each module investigating a different area of the pandemic, from the Government’s preparedness to their response.

• Module 1 of the Inquiry investigated the Government’s preparedness and resilience for a pandemic.
• Module 2 investigated the Government’s decision-making processes.
• Module 3 looked into the governmental and societal response to Covid as well as dissecting the impact that the pandemic had on healthcare systems, patients, and health care workers.
• Module 4 considered a range of issues relating to the development of Covid-19 vaccines and the implementation of the vaccine rollout programme in the UK.
• Module 5 looked at the procurement and distribution of key healthcare related equipment and supplies - including PPE, ventilators, and oxygen.
• Module 6 investigated the impact of the pandemic on the publicly and privately funded adult social care sector across the United Kingdom.
• Module 7 considered and recommend approaches to testing, tracing, and isolation during the pandemic.

Module 8 opened on 21 May 2024. This module will examine the effects of the pandemic on children and young people in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. It will consider the impact on various groups, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.

Module 8 will have four weeks public hearings that will run from Monday 29 September 2025 – 23 October 2025.

You can watch the hearings live, subject to a three-minute delay, via YouTube by clicking here. To see all of the public information about the Inquiry, please visit their website here. 

Nicola Brook hosts the Covid Inquiry Podcast, which discusses what has happened on a weekly basis in court. You can also listen to all instalments of it on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Module 8 Scope

This module will examine the impact of the pandemic on children and young people in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. It will consider the effects on children across society, including those with health needs and special educational needs and/or disabilities from various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. The module will review decision-making in the specified areas as it relates to children and young people, the effects of these decisions, and the broader and long-term impact of the pandemic, including early years provision and education (including further and higher education, apprenticeships, or training), health, and social care. Topics covered in this module will include:

1. The extent to which children and young people were considered as part of any preparedness and planning for a pandemic.
2. The extent to which children and young people were considered by the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations in respect of the application of non-pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs).
3. The impact of the pandemic on the education of, and the early years provision for, children and young people.
4. The impact of the pandemic on children and young people’s physical and mental health, wellbeing, and development.
5. The impact of the pandemic on children and young people in relation to access to and engagement with social care services and other agencies with a role in supporting the safety of children.
6. The impact of the pandemic on children and young people in contact with the criminal justice system.
7. The impact of the pandemic on children and young people in contact with the immigration system.
8. The impact of the pandemic on children and young people in relation to their access to and use of the internet, social media, and online resources.

You can read the full provision scope document here.

Joining the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group

If you are bereaved and aren’t involved in the Inquiry but wish to be, we encourage you to join the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group to make sure you have a voice in this Inquiry.

Join the group