Former health and social care secretary Matt Hancock has admitted the “protective ring” he said was thrown around care homes during the Covid pandemic was broken.

At the UK Covid-19 Inquiry yesterday, Hancock was questioned about his infamous remarks.

Lead counsel to the Inquiry Baroness Hallett cited previous comments by former chief deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam who said: “My view … is … a ring is a circle without a break in it.”

When asked if he agreed with Professor Van-Tam’s conclusion, Hancock responded: “It is quite clear from the evidence that Professor Van-Tam is right.”

The former health secretary came under fire in March when The Daily Telegraph published WhatsApp messages which it alleged revealed he ignored medical advice to test all entrants into care homes.

Hancock said the Telegraph report had been “doctored to create a false story”.

He also dismissed comments by government advisers and officials that he was a liar as “false allegations”.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said Hancock continued to “shirk responsibility for the many lives lost on his pandemic watch”.

“Social care was his brief, but he failed in his duty to keep thousands of vulnerable people and workers safe. His boast about a ‘protective ring’ was a complete fiction. 

“If there are any lessons to be learned from this tragedy, ministers must begin by showing they care about social care. The government must fund the sector properly, boost staff pay and drop threats to limit the number of migrant care workers currently propping up the system.”