Three leading campaign groups have been granted core participant status in the latest stage of the Covid public inquiry.

John’s Campaign, the Relatives & Residents Association and the Patients Association were given the status for the healthcare module of the Covid inquiry which began yesterday.

Helen Wildbore of Relatives and Residents Association said: “Throughout the pandemic, people needing care were failed by the very systems designed to protect their human rights. Their health needs were neglected and their lives put at risk by policies which put the interests of institutions above the rights of people. We look forward to working with the inquiry to seek answers for these failings and learn lessons so that this never happens again.”

Module 3 will consider the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare systems in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This will include consideration of the healthcare consequences of how the governments and the public responded to the pandemic.

As corepParticipants, John’s Campaign, Relatives and Residents Association and the Patients Association will be able to see investigation evidence, make statements at inquiry hearings and suggest lines of questioning to counsel to the the inquiry. The organisations will be working to ensure the experience of healthcare service users is a key consideration in the inquiry’s analysis.

All three organisations are represented by law firm Leigh Day.