Grieving families who lost loved ones to coronavirus expect the new chairman of a public inquiry into the handling of the virus to “restore their confidence” in the process after it was plunged into crisis, a solicitor has said.
Lady Poole quit as inquiry chairwoman in October, citing personal reasons, alongside four lawyers.
A solicitor representing families affected by Covid-19 said the resignation resulted in “dismay and anger at the delay” it would cause.
Lord Brailsford was appointed as her successor by Deputy First Minister John Swinney and on Tuesday the families in the Scottish branch of the UK group Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice will meet the new chairman.
Ahead of the meeting, Aamer Anwar, the solicitor acting for the group, said Lord Brailsford’s first task “must be to win the trust of the bereaved families”.
Mr Anwar said: “The grieving families will look to Lord Brailsford to restore their confidence that the Scottish public inquiry will be an effective mechanism to ensure that no institution, and no minister of government, whether they be Scottish, Welsh, UK or Northern Irish, is allowed to escape robust scrutiny.”
The Scottish inquiry was set up by Holyrood ministers and will run alongside the UK-wide inquiry. To date, it has cost taxpayers more than £2 million.
It was set up to investigate areas such as pre-pandemic planning, the decision to go into lockdown, the supply and distribution of personal protective equipment and how coronavirus was dealt with in care homes.
Mr Anwar said: “For the last two years the families that we represent have campaigned for an independent public inquiry to take place into the handling of the pandemic, both at the UK level as well as in Scotland.
“These families have fought to hold to account those in charge of our public institutions, because thousands of people died who didn’t need to.”
I will work independently to establish the facts and ensure the inquiry thoroughly examines the decisions taken throughout the pandemic— Lord Brailsford
He also condemned the appearance of former UK health secretary Matt Hancock on I’m a Celebrity… as “shameful” which had “compounded their agony and insulted the memory of every person who lost their life to Covid-19”.
Families had previously told the Deputy First Minister they felt “betrayed” by the inquiry, which they said had promised to keep them front and centre.
When Lord Brailsford was appointed as inquiry chairman, he said the inquiry sought to “find out whether anything could, or even should, have been done differently and what lessons can be learned for the future”, and promised families the inquiry would work independently to find answers.
“The public are rightly looking for answers and no more so than the loved ones of the nearly 16,000 people in Scotland who died during this pandemic,” he said.
“I am immensely aware of the enormous responsibility this places on me and the inquiry.
“I promise the families, that along with the inquiry team, I will work independently to establish the facts and ensure the inquiry thoroughly examines the decisions taken throughout the pandemic.”
