Covid Inquiry questions DHSC on NPA evidence

The most senior civil servant at DHSC testifies about the department’s response to the pandemic at Covid Inquiry 

At the Covid Inquiry on Tuesday, Sir Chris Wormald, permanent secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), was questioned about the initial exclusion of community pharmacies in the government’s emergency pandemic life assurance scheme.  

Earlier this month, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) submitted evidence to the inquiry highlighting the delay in including community pharmacies in the scheme – which offered £60,000 lump sum payments to NHS and care home staff who died from Covid.

The inquiry heard that the scheme was launched on April 27, 2020, initially covering NHS and care home staff. However, then Health Secretary Matt Hancock only confirmed the inclusion of community pharmacy staff in a Tweet three days later, on April 30.

NPA Chair Nick Kaye told the inquiry that it was “demoralising and demotivating” to community pharmacy staff who worked throughout the pandemic.

Jacqueline Carey KC, Counsel to the Covid Inquiry, put the charge to Sir Wormald as he gave evidence about the department’s response to the pandemic.

Carey said: “We have heard from the chair of the National Pharmacy Association that the scheme, having been announced on the 27^th of April, on the 30^th of April Mr Hancock tweeted that community pharmacists were included.

“And while he acknowledged the quick turnaround he said it was demoralising and demotivating for that not to have been clear from the start.”

Sir Wormald explained that the Treasury had not approved the inclusion of community pharmacies in the scheme but they were included under discretionary arrangements.

He said: “I think that wherever you draw the line there are terrible cases where you think morally we should pay on the other side of the line.

“Having a discretionary scheme that allowed you to pay money to people who didn’t qualify is a very good idea.”

The NPA is currently the only community pharmacy body represented in this phase of the inquiry, telling the story of the work pharmacies did during the pandemic and highlighting areas where they were forgotten by the government and wider health community.