The long-running Covid inquiry has reached a significant milestone with the conclusion of witness testimony and public hearings, almost three years after they began. This moment was marked by strong statements from Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK (CBFFJ), whose co-founder, Matt Fowler, asserted that government “incompetence, chaos and callousness is now on the public record.” The group called for officials to use the inquiry's findings as a blueprint for “brave, decisive, urgent action,” warning that the UK remains unprepared for future crises. They pledged to continue fighting for the full implementation of the inquiry's recommendations and to counter conspiracy theories.

The Covid inquiry has become the most expensive in UK history, with total costs amounting to £203.98 million, surpassing the Bloody Sunday inquiry. These costs cover setup, salaries for the chair and lawyers, and the running of hearings. Despite criticism from groups like the Taxpayers’ Alliance regarding its length and expense, a spokesperson for the inquiry highlighted its unprecedented broad scope, encompassing 10 distinct investigations or modules. These modules addressed resilience and preparedness, political decision-making, healthcare, vaccines, procurement, the care sector, test and trace, children and young people, the economic response, and societal impact. In total, 238 public hearing days were held across the UK, featuring 381 individual witnesses and over 600,000 evidence documents.

While evidence for all 10 modules has been heard, inquiry chair Lady Hallett has so far published final findings only on the first two. Her initial report concluded that the UK’s pandemic planning suffered from “fatal strategic flaws” and that citizens were failed. The second report heavily criticized Boris Johnson, accusing him of presiding over a “toxic and chaotic” government culture and suggesting that 20,000 lives could have been saved if a lockdown had been implemented a week earlier. CBFFJ, representing over 7,000 families, largely welcomed these findings as “hard-hitting, clear-sighted and damning,” though they also expressed a desire for recommendations to have gone further.

Bereaved individuals gathered outside the inquiry on its final day, holding photos of loved ones and signs with slogans such as “Partygate is your legacy Boris,” observing a minute’s silence and vowing to continue their fight for justice. Naomi Fulop, whose 94-year-old mother died after contracting Covid from an inadequately protected care worker, described the day as “bittersweet.” While satisfied that the inquiry they fought for had concluded and its reports vindicated their long-held concerns, she acknowledged the sadness and difficulty of listening to testimony. Fulop defended the financial cost, stating it was "absolutely worth it" if real change occurs, noting that pandemic preparedness is ultimately more cost-effective than unpreparedness.

Module 10, specifically focusing on the overall impact on society and the legacy left behind, brought to light several critical areas. Inquiry chair Heather Hallett emphasized its purpose: “making a permanent record of the impact of Covid-19, lest people forget, and about recommending improvements for the future.”

One profound impact was on mental health. Experts testified that demand for mental health services surged overnight during lockdowns, with charities like Mind seeing huge distress as statutory services became inaccessible. Increases were reported in suicide ideation, self-harm, eating disorders, and compulsive behaviors. Dr. Sarah Hughes, CEO of Mind, highlighted the particular impact of constant news and crisis messaging on children and young people. She also noted that the inability to grieve properly had led to complex grief and post-traumatic stress disorder, which the nation is still struggling to comprehend.

Key workers across various sectors reported feeling ignored and undervalued, enduring high levels of abuse and intimidation while enforcing social distancing. John Leach of the RMT union described how verbal and physical abuse against transport workers became "normalised" and continued even after the peak of the pandemic, citing threats of being spat at. The tragic case of Belly Mujinga, a railway ticket office worker who died after being spat at, epitomized the dangers faced. Joanne Thomas of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers added that workers frequently felt “dehumanized.”

The pandemic also significantly affected housing and homelessness, particularly through the "Everyone In" initiative, which aimed to house rough sleepers in temporary accommodations like empty hotels. A long-term consequence of this policy is the normalization of using hotels and B&Bs for emergency housing. St Mungo's stated this temporary accommodation had become the "new normal," while Shelter reported severe mental health crises among people housed in hotels with untrained staff, who were often unprepared to handle issues like suicide ideation or severe withdrawal. Experts urged the inclusion of the housing and homelessness sector in future emergency planning to prevent similar errors.

Disabled people experienced significant vulnerability, with social care services "disappearing overnight" and an atmosphere of fear isolating them. Lara Wong from Clinically Vulnerable Families explained that "extended shielding, repeated disruption to healthcare and prolonged exclusion from everyday activities meant risk management became a constant feature of daily life." As restrictions eased, many struggled to return to normal routines, and a profound loss of trust persisted. Professor Nick Watson of the University of Glasgow noted how messages implying that deaths of those with "underlying conditions" were "OK" made disabled people feel devalued. He recounted a distressing incident where a young woman with a learning disability became so anxious she repeatedly washed herself with bleach, leading to hospitalization.

Moving forward, CBFFJ intends to continue campaigning for the Hillsborough Law, which would enforce a legal "duty of candour" on public authorities, aiming to reduce future inquiry costs. They also aim to "fight to remove Covid crooks from the Lords and any public office" and "pursue accountability for the deaths of our loved ones." An inquiry spokesperson confirmed that five of the remaining reports would be published this year, with three more in the first half of 2027, reiterating that if only a fraction of the billions spent during the pandemic can be saved in future crises, the inquiry will have been worth it.