The report, ‘Core UK decision-making and political governance' (Module 2), also concludes that while the various lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 undoubtedly saved lives, they only became inevitable because of the acts and omissions of all governments. The devolved administrations were too reliant on the UK government to lead the response.

Baroness Hallett is calling for the prompt and thorough implementation of 19 key recommendations, including the need for urgent reform and clarification of the structures for decision-making during emergencies within each of the four governments.

Other key recommendations include ensuring that decisions and their implications are clearly communicated to the public – laws and guidance must be easy to understand. There should also be greater Parliamentary scrutiny of the use of emergency powers, as well as improved consideration in an emergency of the impact that decisions might have on those most at risk.

The recommendations must be considered during the development of all future pandemic preparedness strategies.

Baroness Hallett said: ‘In early 2020, Covid-19 was a novel and deadly virus spreading rapidly around the country. All four governments failed to appreciate the scale of the threat or the urgency of response it demanded.

‘When they did realise the scale of the threat, politicians and administrators in the UK government and the devolved administrations were presented with unenviable choices as to how to respond. Whatever decision they took there was often no right answer or good outcome. They also had to make decisions in conditions of extreme pressure. Nonetheless, I can summarise my findings of the response as ‘too little, too late'.

‘The inquiry has therefore identified a number of key lessons learned to inform the response to a future pandemic. In all, I make 19 key recommendations that I believe will better protect the UK in any future pandemic and improve decision-making in a crisis.'

In response, RCN general secretary and chief executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, said: ‘The failure to respond with any sense of urgency at the start of the pandemic not only cost lives it added unprecedented pressures on the NHS, which are still being felt to this day.

‘This report must mark a turning point in how health emergencies are responded to and how the voice of nursing must never be ignored again.'

Unison general secretary Christina McAnea, said: ‘There are important lessons to be learned. Among them, fixing social care must be a top government priority.

‘A nationally integrated, fully funded system could have saved lives, and the UK might have avoided one of the worst death rates in Europe.'

Gary Smith, GMB general secretary, said: 'Workers bore the brunt of the Tories inept response to the pandemic; from the NHS staff who died saving lives, to the educators left in limbo by chaotic school closures.

'GMB members will never forget how care homes were turned into morgues whilst those in No 10 Downing Street partied the night away. Lessons must be learned from this report so such catastrophic incompetence can never be repeated.'

The inquiry's next report – focusing on the Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare systems in the four nations of the UK (Module 3) - will be published next year. The final report is scheduled to be published no later than summer 2027.