Executive Response to Module 1 Recommendations

Closes 4 Jun 2025

Opened 15 May 2025

Contact

covid.inquiry@executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk

Overview

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry is an independent public inquiry into the UK’s response to and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett.

Module 1 of the Inquiry opened on 21 July 2022 to investigate the preparedness for the pandemic, to assess if the pandemic was properly planned for and whether the UK was adequately prepared. The module touched on the whole system of civil emergencies including resourcing, risk management and pandemic readiness and scrutinised government decision-making relating to planning to identify lessons that can be learnt. Baroness Hallett published her findings for Module 1 of the Inquiry on 18 July 2024.

The Executive welcomed the report. 

Throughout the pandemic, all of society faced a crisis unlike anything we have seen. We and our Executive colleagues remain committed to keeping all in our society safe. We have learned lessons from the Pandemic and have started work to implement changes to ensure we are better prepared for a future pandemic. The key is now to build on these improvements, adapt to evolving issues, and focus on long-term resilience.

The Module 1 report contains ten recommendations that focus on cross-cutting systems and processes across the UK whilst also enabling us to consider issues specific to Northern Ireland (NI). It identifies improvements that could be made to the UK’s civil contingencies arrangements and emphasises the need for better risk assessment and governance, streamlining emergency systems, and holding regular pandemic response exercises across all 4-Nations. Moreover, there are suggestions for improved data collection, coordination, and a more integrated strategy that accounts for inequalities and vulnerabilities as well as a need for independent scrutiny of our civil contingency arrangements.

Following agreement at the Executive meeting on 9 January 2025, the Executive approved the publication of the Response to the UK Covid Inquiry Module 1 Report. The response can be found here - Executive Response to the COVID-19 Module 1 Report Jan 2025 | The Executive Office

Work is underway on implementing actions to address the recommendations.  We are committed to ensuring that these actions align with the needs and expectations of all involved parties and recognise the invaluable role that you can play in this process.

We are seeking your views on the implementation of the actions outlined in the Executive's response.  

To support transparency in our decision-making process, the information that you provide may be made public. This may include the name of the responding organisation. The Department’s Privacy Notice can be viewed here - TEO Privacy Notice | The Executive Office

 

Give us your views

Online Survey

Events

Audiences

  • All stakeholders
  • Citizens
  • Business
  • Voluntary and Community Sector
  • Local Government
  • Statutory Body
  • Private Sector
  • Charity, Community and Voluntary
  • Stakeholders
  • Other Stakeholders
  • Companies
  • Work Based Learning Providers
  • Private Sector
  • Business
  • Industry
  • Councils
  • Service users/patients
  • Carers
  • General Public
  • Advocate groups
  • Community/Voluntary sector organisations
  • Health and social care providers – statutory
  • Health and social care providers – non-statutory
  • Health professionals
  • Health and social care staff
  • Health and social care regulators
  • Staff representatives/Unions
  • Royal Colleges
  • Political representatives
  • Disability Organisations
  • People with Disabilities
  • Community & Voluntary Organisations
  • Legal professionals or legal representatives
  • Criminal Justice Agencies

Interests

  • Engagement
  • Health and social care policy
  • Health and social care legislation
  • Regulation of health and social care
  • Provision of health and social care services
  • Improvement of health and social care services
  • Patient/service user advocacy
  • Staff engagement
  • NI
  • Health and Safety Policy
  • Health