COVID-19 Inquiry
We’re making sure people in care are never forgotten again
Care Rights UK are core participants in the COVID-19 inquiry on social care, healthcare and political decision making
Our core participant group
We’re working with John’s Campaign and the Patients Association to convey the experiences of those receiving health or social care during the pandemic. We’re represented by Leigh Day solicitors during the Inquiry.
Social Care
Module 6, social care, ran from June 30th to July 31st 2025. In this module we fed in our experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, as we experienced it through everyone we supported at that time.
Read our response to the report into the government’s political decision-making
Watch our evidence session on the impact of pandemic failings on people drawing on care and support
Our evidence begins at 1:14:30
Read our closing written submission covering human rights, support of loved ones, isolation, healthcare, understanding of the sector and more
“Helen you covered everything that concerned me. The ‘no eyes or ears’ in the home; the neglect; the trauma for residents and family; the lack of medical care; the lack of recognition of family carers. You said everything that I wanted the Inquiry to hear. You took the pressure off me, and you delivered.”
— former Adviceline user
Every story matters
A number of our clients and supporters have been kind and brave enough to share with us their experience of the pandemic. It is our honour to share these with the Inquiry, and we want to express our gratitude to those that have been willing to recount their experiences of this traumatic time. We hope that these personal experiences demonstrate the impact that poor decision-making had on those in care and their loved ones, and lessons can be learned to prevent this ever happening again.
Mary’s story
Ann kindly revisited her mother’s story for our blog, and shared their experience of the pandemic, highlighting what she thinks went wrong. Read her story.
Jane and Nicola began campaigning with us during COVID, leading to Keir Starmer backing our call for the legal right to a Care Supporter
Read the stories of their experience during COVID supporting their mums, and everything that’s happened since, here.
More stories from the pandemic
Healthcare
During the healthcare module of the inquiry, we gave evidence on the failures to consider how health and care are inextricably linked, and the challenges people in social care faced in accessing healthcare during the pandemic.
We called on the Inquiry:
To reaffirm the centrality of human rights and equality legislation and other key laws on care and mental capacity in times of national emergency.
To recommend a new legal right for individuals in health or care institutions to the support of whoever matters most to them.
To highlight the importance of patient partnership and listening to the voices of those who will be most directly impacted by new regulations.
