The absense of lessons learned by authorities in the north in the wake of the Covid pandemic is “stark”, a barrister representing bereaved families has warned.
In a closing statement to module three of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on Wednesday, Brenda Campbell KC said it was “a sobering reality” that little had changed in Northern Ireland following the pandemic, which began in 2020.
Ms Campbell, who represents families of those who lost their lives to coronavirus in the pandemic, called on the north’s leaders to “commit to working with the bereaved and with all affected to ensure lasting change”.
She questioned if outcomes would be different in a future pandemic.
“At this point, post-pandemic, more than everything there must be evidence of reflection and work towards meaningful change and yet the absence of reflection, of lessons learned in the evidence from Northern Ireland is stark,” she said.
The barrister said issues in the Northern Irish healthcare system “are too large, pervasive and systemic”.
She added: “The Northern Irish Covid bereaved are unwavering in their commitment to ensuring that the posthumous legacy of those we have lost is a brighter future for those who are still here.
“But they cannot achieve that alone.”
The third module of the inquiry, hearings for which are taking place in London, is examining “the governmental and societal response to Covid-19 as well as dissecting the impact that the pandemic had on healthcare systems, patients and health care workers”.
