Who we are: the Inquiry panel and witnesses
The People's Covid Inquiry has been called by campaign organisation Keep Our NHS Public.
The Inquiry will hear testimony from many witnesses and takes place with support from a wide variety of individuals and organisations.
THE PANEL
Our panel, chaired by Michael Mansfield QC brought world-class rigour to proceedings and questioned our witnesses.
Michael Mansfield QC
Chair of panel
Internationally renowned human rights lawyer
Michael has represented individuals, families and groups in some of the most controversial legal cases the UK has seen: the Stephen Lawrence inquiry; the Bloody Sunday Inquiry; the Hillsborough disaster; Jean Charles de Menezes; the McLibel trial. He has chaired international people’s tribunals on the Middle East; the Lewisham People's Commission on Lewisham Hospital threatened with closure in 2013 by Jeremy Hunt, then Health Secretary; and the North West London NHS Hospital Inquiry, which eventually helped save Charing Cross and Ealing Hospitals from closure.
Dr Jacky Davis
NHS consultant radiologist, author and BMA council member (in a personal capacity)
Jacky Davis is a founder member of Keep Our NHS Public. She co-authored the books NHS SOS: How the NHS Was Betrayed and How We Can Save It, and NHS For Sale. Dr Davis is also a member of BMA Council. She works as a consultant radiologist at Whittington Hospital in North London.
Professor Neena Modi
Professor of Neonatal Medicine, Imperial College London and president, UK Medical Women’s Federation
Neena Modi is a consultant in neonatal medicine and a leading researcher who has worked to improve children’s health throughout her career. She is the current president of the UK Medical Women’s Federation, the immediate past-president of the UK Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and the president-elect of the British Medical Association.
Dr Tolullah Oni
Urban Epidemiologist & Public Health physician at the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge
Tolullah Oni was born in Lagos, studied in London and worked in South Africa for >10 years. Her research, focused on ways to improve health in cities, has been profiled in The Lancet journal. She is a Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge and the African Academy of Sciences. She sits on The Lancet Planetary Health editorial board, the Future Earth advisory board and is a member of Independent SAGE.
Lorna Hackett, Barrister
Counsel to the Inquiry
Hackett & Dabbs LLP
Lorna is co-founder of HackettDabbs.co.uk, and specialises in human rights and public law. She is committed to protecting the most vulnerable within society. Ms Hackett has a strong track record in judicial review proceedings. She trains other barristers in advocacy and is a renowned public speaker on social justice and client-focussed legal services. Ms Hackett is currently writing a book on Imprisonment for Public Protection in the UK.
WITNESSES:
Jean Adamson | Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice
https://youtu.be/_MmH8ABPAIw?t=6665
Raymond Agius | Professor Emeritus of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Manchester
https://youtu.be/bRtKxm_5lno?t=2954
Lobby Akinnola | Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice https://youtu.be/ReR5LtgyPxk?t=3209
Rachel Ambrose | NHS nurse in CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health service), convenor Nurses of Colour, Nurses United https://youtu.be/cp4tqXWOS3I?t=4441
Rehana Azam | National Secretary GMB Union https://youtu.be/g1z6PNCGL5I?t=504
Michael Baker | Professor of Public Health, University of Otago, New Zealand https://youtu.be/g1z6PNCGL5I?t=4586
Michael Bimmler | Barrister in public law
https://youtu.be/_MmH8ABPAIw?t=7995
Kirsty Brewerton | NHS Clinical Sister and founder of Sitting Rooms of Culture https://youtu.be/bRtKxm_5lno?t=4489
Rachel Clarke | Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Christopher House and NHS, author
https://youtu.be/Tb0UNPPlGlk?t=5885
Ellen Clifford | National Steering Committee, Disabled People Against Cuts, author https://youtu.be/Tb0UNPPlGlk?t=324
Anthony Costello | Professor of Global Health and Sustainable Development, University College London; former Director at WHO, member of Independent SAGE https://youtu.be/g1z6PNCGL5I?t=2451
Kevin Courtney | Joint General Secretary National Education Union https://youtu.be/_MmH8ABPAIw?t=2161
Stephen Cowan | Leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council https://youtu.be/_MmH8ABPAIw?t=4560
Rosa Curling | Lawyer, co-founder of Foxglove, formerly of Leigh Day Solicitors https://youtu.be/NrS6_GCXtDE?t=4050
Dr Michelle Dawson | NHS Consultant Anaesthetist, trustee Healthcare Workers’ Foundation charity (previously ‘Heroes’)
https://youtu.be/NrS6_GCXtDE?t=5990
Dr Chidi Ejimofo | NHS consultant in Emergency Medicine
https://youtu.be/bRtKxm_5lno?t=5711
Jo Goodman | Co-founder Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice https://youtu.be/UVIPRxdRx7Y?t=434
Deepti Gurdasani | Clin. epidemiologist & statistical geneticist, Snr Lecturer in Machine Learning, QMUL
https://youtu.be/_MmH8ABPAIw?t=586
Phil Hammond | NHS doctor, journalist and comedy writer/performer https://youtu.be/35tdMRcznbU
Janet Harris | Sheffield Community Contact Tracing Group https://youtu.be/g1z6PNCGL5I?t=5847
Professor Sir David King | Chair of Independent-SAGE https://youtu.be/ReR5LtgyPxk?t=620
Kamlesh Khunti | Prof. of Primary Care Diabetes & Vascular Medicine, Univ. of Leicester, member government advisory body SAGE; Chair of SAGE Ethnicity Sub-Group; member of Independent SAGE
Elaine Kinsella | Chartered psychologist, lecturer in psychology, University of Limerick, Ireland [with co-researcher Rachel Sumner]
https://youtu.be/cp4tqXWOS3I?t=2710
Dr John Lister | academic, author and campaigning health journalist https://youtu.be/UVIPRxdRx7Y?t=5870
Professor Sir Michael Marmot | Director, UCL Institute of Health Equity, Dept of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCL https://youtu.be/UVIPRxdRx7Y?t=1361
David McCoy | Professor of Global Health Medicine, Institute of Population Health Sciences, QMUL; Centre for Health and the Public Interest https://youtu.be/NrS6_GCXtDE?t=733
Martin McKee | Professor of European Public Health, member of Independent SAGE https://youtu.be/Tb0UNPPlGlk?t=1929
Unjum Mirza | Secretary, Victoria Line Branch of ASLEF union
https://youtu.be/bRtKxm_5lno?t=553
Latifa Patel | NHS doctor, deputy chair BMA representative body (Personal Capacity)
https://youtu.be/CE0-QfCOMXw?t=4187
Clare Phillips | operations manager supported living services for adults with learning disabilities https://youtu.be/Tb0UNPPlGlk?t=4505
Jonathan Portes | Professor of Economics & Public Policy at King’s College London and former senior civil servant https://youtu.be/cp4tqXWOS3I?t=5384
Stephen Reicher | Professor of Social Psychology, Univ. of St Andrews; participant in SPI-B (SAGE) and Advisory Group to Scottish CMO on Covid-19; member of Independent SAGE
https://youtu.be/cp4tqXWOS3I?t=505
Michael Rosen | author, poet, broadcaster, former Children's Laureate, Covid-19 survivor https://youtu.be/NrS6_GCXtDE?t=198
Dr. Helen Salisbury | NHS GP, columnist for BMJ, Oxford University teacher/trainer undergrad medical students and postgrad doctors https://youtu.be/ReR5LtgyPxk?t=5835
Gabriel Scally | President Epidemiology and Public Health Section, Royal Society of Medicine, Visiting Professor of Public Health, University of Bristol, member of Independent SAGE https://youtu.be/UVIPRxdRx7Y?t=4669
Jan Shortt | Gen. secretary National Pensioners Convention https://youtu.be/ReR5LtgyPxk?t=4730
Mary-Ann Stephenson | Director, Women’s Budget Group
https://youtu.be/CE0-QfCOMXw?t=672
Holly Turner | NHS children's mental health nurse, CAMHS service, GMB union rep https://youtu.be/UVIPRxdRx7Y?t=4019
Rachel Sumner | Snr Lecturer in Psychology, School of Natural & Social Sciences, Univ. of Gloucestershire [with co-researcher Elaine Kinsella] https://youtu.be/cp4tqXWOS3I?t=2710
Matt Western | MP for Warwick & Leamington - statement read out by Counsel https://youtu.be/_MmH8ABPAIw?t=6324
Dr David Wrigley | GP in Carnforth, North Lancs, Deputy Chair BMA, co-author ‘NHS for Sale’ and ‘NHS SOS
https://youtu.be/NrS6_GCXtDE?t=2491
Aliya Yule | Access to Healthcare organiser, Migrants Organise
https://youtu.be/CE0-QfCOMXw?t=5585
Zahra (Fatima Az- Zahra Ali) | School student
With thanks to
Susan Michie | Prof. of Health Psychology, UCL, Independent SAGE
and
Sonia Adesara | NHS junior doctor (introducing session 6)
Alia Butt | KONP Executive, NHS Psychotherapist and NHS Staff Voices (introducing session 4)
Louise Irvine | KONP Executive (introducing session 3)
John Puntis | co-chair KONP (introducing session 2)
Prof Sue Richards | KONP Executive (introducing session 5)
Prof Wendy Savage | Life President KONP (introducing session 8)
Tony O'Sullivan | co-chair KONP (introducing session 1, 7, 9)