The COVID inquiry opening

June 13 2023

Kirsten Heaven is representing COVID Bereaved Families for Justice Wales at the opening of the COVID Inquiry module 1 hearing today.

"Many of those bereaved people feel like they were let down by the government," she says.

"They feel let down because they have experienced first-hand the consequences of what they consider to be the catastrophic failure of the Welsh government to adequately prepare for and respond to the pandemic in Wales," she adds.

Wales has not been granted its own public inquiry by the Welsh government, unlike Scotland and Northern Ireland.

"This inquiry is therefore the only opportunity the people of Wales will have to ensure that there is property scrutiny of the decisions of Welsh government and their advisers," she adds.

The Cymru group, she says, is "very disappointed" by an inadequate response and engagement from the Welsh government with the inquiry.