Lady Poole will chair inquiry into pandemic
A LEGAL expert with “expertise in administrative and human rights law” has been chosen to lead the long-awaited public inquiry into Scotland’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
In August, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed a judge-led review would be commissioned to examine how authorities responded to the Covid crisis.
Yesterday, Deputy First Minister John Swinney revealed it will be led by Judge Lady Poole and will look at 12 specific subjects covering the period January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022.
He said: “Her expertise in administrative and human rights law is exactly in line with our expectations of a human rights-based approach to the inquiry.”
The final report will address what went wrong in the early stages of the pandemic and offer recommendations on future public health.
Among issues it will examine is the failure to get enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to hospital and care home staff in the first months of lockdown. The discharging of elderly hospital patients to care homes will also be closely scrutinised.
A report based on Crown Office figures found that 3400 care home residents in Scotland had died as a result of coronavirus.
There have been more than 10,000 Covid-related deaths in Scotland and a third have occurred in care homes. The Crown Office data is part of a separate investigation to determine if the deaths should be the subject of a fatal accident inquiry or prosecution.
Swinney said: “I am grateful to everyone who has shared their views on what the inquiry should look into – in particular bereaved families and those who have lost friends and colleagues.”