During the first peak of the pandemic from March to June 2020, around 66,000 people died in care homes, with a significant portion of those deaths attributed to Covid-19.

The COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice (CBFFJ) group is seeking accountability for high-level government decisions they believe led to unnecessary deaths in care homes during the pandemic.

Charlie Williams, a member of the bereaved families group, stressed the importance of holding key decision-makers accountable, including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is not expected to testify in the ongoing inquiry.

Williams asserted that the dire conditions in care homes were not accidental but rather the result of deliberate choices made by government officials.

The inquiry, which has a budget of £200 million, aims to investigate the impact of Covid-19 on the care sector to ensure lessons are learned for future health crises.

A critical focus of the inquiry will be the decisions made by the UK Government regarding the discharge of hospital patients into care homes without testing, which significantly contributed to the virus's spread.

Key issues under examination include infection control measures, testing protocols, the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), and access restrictions for healthcare professionals and families.

The early stages of the pandemic saw hospital patients discharged into care homes without mandatory testing, exacerbating the risk to vulnerable populations.

The inquiry underscores the necessity for accountability and emphasizes learning from past mistakes to enhance the care sector's readiness for future public health emergencies.

This module of the inquiry, which will last five weeks, is set to include testimonies from bereaved families and former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who will provide evidence specifically regarding the care sector.

Hancock has previously admitted that the protective measures intended for care homes during the pandemic were not effectively implemented, acknowledging in 2023 that the protective ring was not unbroken.

Bereaved families are advocating for potential criminal charges against politicians if they are found negligent in their handling of the pandemic, akin to repercussions faced by professionals in other sectors.