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Good morning. Yesterday lunchtime the UK Covid-19 inquiry published its latest findings \u2013 this time on how the NHS, its staff and patients were affected during the pandemic. It delivered a stark verdict: the health service \u201cteetered on the brink of collapse\u201d and only avoided it through the \u201calmost superhuman efforts\u201d of staff.<\/p>\n
Heather <\/strong>Hallett, the inquiry chair, said healthcare systems \u201ccoped, but only just\u201d \u2013 and rejected the claim made by Conservative ministers at the time that the NHS had not been overwhelmed. For bereaved families, that language matters.<\/p>\n For today\u2019s newsletter, I spoke to Naomi Fulop<\/strong><\/em>, a healthcare academic and member of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, about what the group hoped to hear from the report, what it has been like for bereaved families to take part in the inquiry, and what needs to happen next if the process is to lead to real change.<\/p>\n Middle East |<\/strong><\/em> <\/strong>Iran said it would show \u201czero restraint\u201d if its energy infrastructure was targeted again as Qatar revealed that almost a fifth of its liquefied natural gas export capacity had been knocked out in an Iranian strike.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Health<\/strong><\/em> | Meningitis vaccination has been expanded in Kent after cases linked to a Canterbury nightclub rose to 27. Two people have died, and officials say the outbreak is being contained.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Politics | <\/strong><\/em>Muslim leaders have condemned Nigel Farage\u2019s call to ban public prayer by Muslims in the UK as bigoted and warned of a \u201cgrowing tide of hate\u201d after Kemi Badenoch questioned whether the events fitted \u201cwithin the norms of British culture\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n EU |<\/strong><\/em> <\/strong>EU leaders have pledged to stand behind Cyprus as it seeks \u201can open and frank discussion\u201d on the future of the British bases on the island, which have become a target after the outbreak of the latest Middle East crisis.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Immigration | <\/strong><\/em>A 16-year-old schoolgirl is stranded in Denmark after she was not allowed to board a flight to the UK due to new border rules on dual nationals.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n <\/span>Doctors remove PPE after treating Covid patients in a stretched intensive care unit at the Western general hospital, Edinburgh.<\/span> Photograph: Murdo MacLeod\/The Guardian<\/p>\n Heather Hallett was appointed to lead the inquiry in December 2021. This latest report follows earlier findings on the UK\u2019s preparedness for a pandemic and on political decision-making at the top of government.<\/p>\n \u201cWe campaigned for the inquiry, so it is really important to us that it comes out with what\u2019s needed,\u201d Fulop tells me.<\/p>\n \u201cOverall, we were pleased with those first two reports. We felt they vindicated what we\u2019ve been saying for years, and gave a very good diagnosis of what went wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n What it has been like for bereaved families<\/strong><\/p>\n It matters for bereaved families not just because the inquiry establishes a public record, but because many of them have had to relive intensely painful experiences to help shape it.<\/p>\n \u201cI have to say it was one of the most nerve-racking things I\u2019ve ever done,\u201d Fulop says of giving evidence. \u201cMostly because, as many of our witnesses do, I was speaking on behalf of our organisation, which is UK-wide \u2013 we\u2019ve got 7,000 members \u2013 and it felt like a huge weight on my shoulders to get it right. I didn\u2019t want to let people down.\u201d<\/p>\n She says the group believed it had made a tangible difference to the inquiry by raising issues that might otherwise have received less attention. One of those was the use of do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation orders.<\/p>\n \u201cMany of our members\u2019 loved ones were placed under these without proper consultation,\u201d she says. \u201cSome of the stories from our members are just really shocking on that, and it was really important that we raised the issue. It wasn\u2019t on the chair\u2019s radar until we did.\u201d<\/p>\n Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK has also backed calls for a Hillsborough law, which campaigners argue would reduce the length and cost of future public inquiries and place a greater duty of candour on public bodies.<\/p>\n What families hoped the report would say<\/strong><\/p>\n Fulop says the central issue was whether the inquiry would fully confront how exposed the NHS was before Covid arrived.<\/p>\n \u201cThe underlying issue about the NHS is that it was absolutely unprepared, in the sense that it did not have the capacity required to meet a pandemic,\u201d she says. \u201cYears of austerity had left it without that resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n For the group, that point matters as much for the future as for the historical record.<\/p>\n \u201cThe NHS is probably in a worse state now than it was in 2020 before the pandemic hit,\u201d Fulop says. \u201cSo the recommendations from the inquiry need to point to strengthening the capacity and resilience of the NHS in order that it can face another pandemic, which, as we all know, is not a case of if, but when.\u201d<\/p>\n She also says the report needed to reject what families see as one of the most misleading claims made by ministers during the pandemic \u2013 that the NHS was not overwhelmed.<\/p>\n \u201cIt absolutely, clearly was,\u201d says Fulop. \u201cEvidence from bereaved families and from NHS staff clearly laid that out.\u201d<\/p>\n Alongside questions of staffing, funding and resilience, Fulop says there was also a human and cultural dimension that must not be overlooked: the experience of separation at the end of life.<\/p>\n \u201cMany people [were] not able to be with their loved one when they died,\u201d Fulop tells me. \u201cSome people had no communication at all, which is really terrible,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n The report does indeed paint a picture of a system under extreme strain \u2013 with patients waiting hours in ambulances, staff stretched far beyond safe ratios, and shortages of critical equipment.<\/p>\n As Hallett put it, \u201cstaff-to-patient ratios were diluted\u201d, and workers were left \u201cputting out fires rather than caring for the patient\u201d.<\/p>\n What the report said<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/span>A person holds a copy of the Covid-19 Inquiry\u2019s latest report, which sets out how the NHS \u2018teetered on the brink\u2019.<\/span> Photograph: Jonathan Brady\/PA<\/p>\n The inquiry concluded the NHS entered the pandemic in a \u201cprecarious\u201d state, with staff shortages, low bed numbers and high occupancy rates leaving it ill-prepared for a major crisis.<\/p>\n Patients did not always receive the care they needed, with some diagnoses and treatments coming too late to save lives. Others avoided seeking help altogether, after the \u201cstay home, protect the NHS, save lives\u201d message deterred people from attending hospital even with life-threatening conditions.<\/p>\n Healthcare workers, meanwhile, were pushed to their limits. Four in five said they acted in ways that conflicted with their values, with some describing having to choose which patients received care.<\/p>\n Despite that, collapse was narrowly avoided.<\/p>\n \u201cHealthcare systems came close to collapse,\u201d Hallett said. \u201cCollapse was only narrowly avoided thanks to the extraordinary efforts of all those working in healthcare across the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n The inquiry also highlights the human cost of restrictions, with some patients dying alone.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was a horrific experience for family members,\u201d Hallett said, describing how loved ones were forced to say goodbye remotely.<\/p>\n Outside Dorland House, Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK said the report was \u201cclear and utterly damning\u201d \u2013 stating that the decision to leave healthcare workers and the system within it on the edge of breakdown was a \u201cpolitical choice\u201d.<\/p>\n What comes next<\/strong><\/p>\n Health is devolved, which means England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland often took different approaches during the pandemic. The UK-wide inquiry examined the broader handling of the crisis. Scotland is also conducting its own inquiry, with its next report due later this year.<\/p>\n For bereaved families, though, the central question now is less about what the inquiry says than what governments do with it.<\/p>\n As my colleague Jessica Murray reports here, Hallett set out 10 recommendations, including increasing NHS capacity, improving infection control guidance and strengthening support for healthcare workers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot know when, but there will be another pandemic,\u201d she said, urging governments across the UK to implement the changes \u201cas swiftly as possible\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt does pay in the long term to be prepared for a national crisis,\u201d Fulop tells me. \u201cBut it means a government needs to think long term, and many governments are not very good at that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe context now is the economy and the public finances, and we understand that,\u201d she said \u2013 but added that the cost of not being prepared for another health crisis would be even greater.<\/p>\n The inquiry sets out in stark terms what happened when the NHS was pushed to its limits. Whether governments act on those warnings before the next crisis arrives is the question that now matters most.<\/p>\n <\/span>Dave Grohl in Los Angeles.<\/span> Photograph: Piper Ferguson<\/p>\n I\u2019m not a huge Foo Fighters fan, but I was gripped by Dave Grohl<\/strong>\u2019s introspection in his interview this morning, with music editor Ben Beaumont-Thomas. Patrick Greenfield<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n A Queer Inheritance by Michael Hall tells the story of the National Trust<\/strong>\u2019s LGBTQ history. Stephen Smith reviews what sounds like a fascinating set of tales. Martin<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n MP <\/strong>Charlotte Nichols<\/strong> speaks to Helen Pidd about her rape trial and the subsequent acquittal of the man she accused. It is a searingly honest interview about the 1,088-day wait for her day in court and why she chose to speak in parliament about her experience. Patrick<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Mamoru Hosoda<\/strong>\u2019s <\/strong>Scarlet<\/strong> retells the story of Hamlet with a female lead and melds it into Japanese mythology of the afterlife. Nick Chen interviews the legendary anime director. Martin<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n In Poland this week, former long jump world champion Luvo Manyonga is making an extraordinary return to elite sport after struggling with meth addiction. Read Ben Bloom<\/strong>\u2019s interview about how the South African turned his life around. Patrick<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/span>Aston Villa’s John McGinn reacts after scoring against Lille.<\/span> Photograph: Adam Vaughan\/EPA<\/p>\n Football<\/strong><\/em> | Nottingham Forest beat Midtjylland 3-0 on penalties to book a Europa League quarter-final against Porto. Aston Villa ensured there would be two Premier League sides in the last eight after they beat Lille 2-0 at Villa Park.<\/p>\n Rugby<\/strong><\/em> | Premiership Rugby emerges from the shadow of the Six Nations this weekend, with the race for the top four hotting up.<\/p>\n Chess<\/strong><\/em> | Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has invested in a new world chess championship tour that will star his compatriot, Magnus Carlsen.<\/p>\n Our critics\u2019 roundup of the best things to watch, read, play and listen to right now<\/em><\/p>\n <\/span>Substantial and complex \u2026 Ciar\u00e1n Hinds and Lesley Manville in Midwinter Break.<\/span> Photograph: FlixPix\/Alamy<\/p>\n Film TV Music Dance <\/span> Photograph: Guardian<\/p>\n The Guardian<\/strong> leads with \u201cNew threat from Iran as fears grow of energy crisis\u201d. The Times<\/strong> quotes Israel\u2019s prime minister with \u201cNetanyahu: Iran\u2019s regime won\u2019t be toppled from air\u201d. The Telegraph<\/strong> reports \u201cSaudis threaten strikes on Iran\u201d.<\/p>\n The Financial Times<\/strong> has \u201cMarkets tumble as investors price in \u2018protracted energy shock\u2019 from war\u201d. The Mail<\/strong> says \u201cIran war unleashes mortgage shock for millions\u201d. The i<\/strong> reports \u201cWorld energy shock hits UK – with bill rises set to last for years\u201d, while the Sun<\/strong> simply goes with \u201cHell\u2019s bills\u201d. The Mirror<\/strong> looks at the Covid inquiry, under the headline \u201cThey saved us and NHS\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/span> Photograph: Compassionate Eye Foundation\/David Oxberry\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Why Ireland is giving a basic income to artist<\/strong><\/p>\n Rory Carroll<\/strong> reports on the Irish government\u2019s initiative, as a musician and a writer relay their experiences on the scheme.<\/p>\n <\/span> Illustration: Ben Jennings\/The Guardian<\/p>\n A bit of good news to remind you that the world\u2019s not all bad<\/em><\/p>\n <\/span>Five more ways to save Britain\u2019s \u2018charming\u2019 and \u2018polite\u2019 gatekeeper butterflies.<\/span> Composite: Guardian Design; Rosendo Jose Serrano Valera\/Getty<\/p>\n As the light finally returns across the northern hemisphere after a long, cold winter, the natural world is awakening from its slumber. Many readers planning a weekend in the garden will want to make space for wildlife, and Emma Beddington has been looking at how we can help British species thrive. This week, she has written about how to encourage gatekeeper butterflies, an orange- and brown-winged insect that is frequently seen in urban areas.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all about caterpillars,\u201d says Dr Richard Fox, Butterfly Conservation\u2019s head of science, explaining that leaving long grass is vital early in the season.<\/p>\n The series also details how readers can create hedgehog havens \u2013 and improve the fortunes of Britain\u2019s endangered toads.<\/p>\n Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday<\/strong><\/p>\n And finally, the Guardian\u2019s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Good morning. Yesterday lunchtime the UK Covid-19 inquiry published its latest findings \u2013 this time on how the NHS, its staff and patients were affected during the pandemic. It delivered a stark verdict: the health service \u201cteetered on the brink of collapse\u201d and only avoided it through the \u201calmost superhuman efforts\u201d of staff. Heather Hallett,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[1043,5333,1042,357,1229,572,808],"class_list":{"0":"post-47173","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-briefing","9":"tag-covid","10":"tag-friday","11":"tag-inquiry","12":"tag-nhs","13":"tag-reveals","14":"tag-worry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47173"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47173\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/47174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Five big stories<\/h2>\n
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In depth: \u2018Workers were left putting out fires rather than caring for patients\u2019<\/h2>\n
What else we\u2019ve been reading<\/h2>\n
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Sport<\/h2>\n
Something for the weekend<\/h2>\n
<\/strong>Midwinter Break <\/strong>| \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/strong>
Gerry and Stella, played by Ciar\u00e1n Hinds and Lesley Manville, are a late middle-aged couple from Northern Ireland who left for Scotland in the 1970s, traumatised by the Troubles, and are taking a restorative midwinter break in Amsterdam. Movies about ageing empty-nesters going on a bittersweet holiday and unexpectedly having to confront something about their relationship are common enough. There is often something soft and fuzzy and depressing in the wrong way about these films\u2019 lenient sunset sentimentalism \u2013 but not so with Polly Findlay\u2019s fiercely sad, spiky and wonderfully acted film, based on a novel by Bernard MacLaverty (the author of Cal). Peter Bradshaw<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
Last One Laughing UK | \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/strong>
It could easily have been a fluke. That such a simple, even lame-sounding format was responsible for three hours of the most transcendentally funny television of 2025 might well have been down to an alchemical accident. Spoiler: it wasn\u2019t. Ten successful comedians spend six hours in a huge room trying not to laugh or smile. One lapse gets you a yellow card; another gets you ejected. Now you must commentate on the action in separate viewing quarters with the host, Jimmy Carr, and his sidekick Roisin Conaty. This series leaves me helpless with laughter at least once an episode. Rachel Aroesti<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
Underscores: U | \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606
<\/strong>April Grey is a US bedroom producer beloved of an impressive range of other artists \u2013 experimental pop duo 100 Gecs are fans, so is rapper Danny Brown and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker \u2013 but thus far it\u2019s been hard to accurately pin her down. <\/strong>U sounds substantially less hair-raising than her previous work, perhaps as a result of a distinct musical shift. The album\u2019s musical north star seems to be late 90s\/early 00s R&B, the fertile, experimental period dominated by Timbaland, the Neptunes and Rodney \u201cDarkchild\u201d Jerkins. You can pick out echoes of the era everywhere. U is certainly a more interesting, accomplished and better-written pop album than most major pop artists have dished up of late. Alexis Petridis<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
<\/strong>Royal Ballet: Giselle<\/strong> |<\/strong> Royal Opera House, London<\/strong> | \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606
<\/strong>A <\/strong>dancer\u2019s debut in one of ballet\u2019s great leading roles is always an event, but it\u2019s particularly notable when that dancer is a first artist \u2013 three ranks below principal in ballet\u2019s hierarchy. Twenty-five-year-old Ukrainian Marianna Tsembenhoi is clearly being tipped as a future star and the Royal Ballet\u2019s faith in her looks well placed on the basis of her first outing as tragic peasant girl Giselle. From her first entrance, buoyant across the stage, she impresses with her elevation, as if her weight is barely touching the ground. Lyndsey Winship<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nThe front pages<\/h2>\n
Today in Focus<\/h2>\n
Cartoon of the day | Ben Jennings<\/h2>\n
The Upside<\/h2>\n
Bored at work?<\/h2>\n