UK Covid-19 Inquiry Report: Long Covid and Disabled Communities Still Erased

Long Covid Advocacy responds to the UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry’s second report on political governance and core decision-making. The report confirms what disabled people, chronically ill people, and Long Covid patients have known for years: the UK government’s pandemic response was too little, too late, and largely indifferent to the lives of those most at risk.

A disproportionate number of Covid-related deaths were among disabled or clinically vulnerable people, yet these communities were systematically ignored in policy planning. Long Covid was not considered at all, despite being a predictable, disabling consequence of infection that would affect millions.

“The government treated our lives as disposable and dispensable, leaving us to fend for ourselves while ministers delayed decisive action. Long Covid was never even considered, and people were left not knowing what had happened to them - with no medical support." Says Claire Higham, from Long Covid Advocacy.

Key findings highlighted by Long Covid Advocacy:

• Lockdown came a week too late, likely costing tens of thousands of lives.

• Long Covid was invisible in decision-making, communication, and strategy.

• Governance failures included toxic internal culture, groupthink, and inadequate oversight.

Long Covid Advocacy is calling for immediate action:

1. Formal recognition of Long Covid as a named disability, and a condition requiring an effective long-term national strategy.

2. Redress and a formal apology to disabled and chronically ill communities.

3. Structural reform embedding disabled people and Long Covid patients in emergency planning and pandemic decision-making.

4. Transparent public health policy that prioritises prevention, equity, and accountability.

“Post-acute viral illness has been neglected for far too long, leaving millions with chronic disability and ongoing suffering. The UK government must face the reality of the crisis it created and follow models like Germany’s, which has committed €500 million to cure Long Covid head-on. Ignoring this is not just a failure of policy - it’s a failure that is having profound economic and social consequences.”