The government will give careful consideration to the findings of the covid-19 inquiry after the report raised concerns about the care provided to long covid patients, according to Nick Thomas-Symonds, the MP for Torfaen.

Mr Thomas-Symonds, who holds the Cabinet Office portfolio, stated that the administration would take all necessary steps to learn from the pandemic experience and would thoroughly examine the inquiry’s published conclusions.

In the United Kingdom, long covid is believed to affect between 1.8 and 2 million people, with symptoms continuing beyond four weeks after initial infection and often lasting twelve weeks or more. These include severe tiredness, breathlessness, brain fog, and muscle pain.

A independent public inquiry was set up to examine the United Kingdom’s handling of and experience during the covid-19 pandemic, with the goal of drawing lessons for the future. The inquiry has finished its public hearings and is regularly publishing reports containing its findings and recommendations.

The third phase of the inquiry focused on understanding the impact of the pandemic and its consequences. More than three hundred written contributions and three hundred thousand documents were received, and ninety-three people gave evidence during a ten-week hearing held in the autumn of this year.

Following publication, campaign groups are urging the government and devolved administrations to act quickly to fix ongoing gaps in care. They warn that long covid remains a major public health concern, affecting millions now, with new cases appearing with each fresh wave of infections.

In the House of Commons, Labour MP Jo Platt asked the Minister to give assurance to those living with long covid that the government would fully implement the inquiry’s recommendations, and to set out what is being done to ensure long covid and post-viral conditions shape future resilience planning and pandemic preparedness.

Mr Thomas-Symonds replied that his hon Friend made a powerful point about the impact of long covid, which has affected many people since the pandemic. He added that the inquiry’s recent third module report addressed this comprehensively and the government would give careful consideration to the inquiry’s work on this in their full response, which is entirely the right approach.