UK Covid inquiry: public health bosses relied on media for information

It is the fourth week of evidence in the Covid inquiry’s module examining national preparedness for the pandemic. Photograph: Carl Court/Getty Images

Communication from central government was so poor during parts of the Covid pandemic that directors of public health relied on TV and newspapers to find out about key decisions, the UK Covid public inquiry has heard.

Government departments did not even have contact details for some of the 150 senior public health officials based in councils, said Prof Jim McManus, president of the Association of Directors of Public Health, who told the inquiry: “They physically couldn’t contact us.”