Key Summary
- The UK Government has committed approximately £1 billion to rebuild pandemic readiness, focusing on vaccines, therapeutics, and mass-testing surveillance.
- A new ‘All Pandemic Hazards Bill’ is being drafted to replace the 2011 Influenza strategy, allowing for a swift response to a wider variety of pathogens.
- The strategy is directly informed by the largest pandemic simulation in UK history (Autumn 2025), which tested every government department and local resilience forum.
The Department for Health and Social Care announced the publication of a new Pandemic Preparedness Strategy, backed by £1 billion in health protection investment to improve its response to health emergencies.
The plan aims to move beyond the limitations of the previous 2011 Influenza-only model, and builds on wider reforms taking place through the 10 Year Health Plan.
The UKHSA will pre-emptively build a new contact tracing system and begin stockpiling PPE.
The strategy outlines concrete action already taken across government to embed lessons from Covid-19.
It has been directly informed by early findings from Exercise Pegasus, the UK’s largest pandemic simulation exercise, which took place in Autumn 2025.
Exercise Pegasus saw every government department, the devolved governments, arms-length bodies, local resilience forums, and external stakeholders respond to the spread of a simulated pathogen over a number of weeks.
“An ‘All Pandemic Hazards Bill’ will be drafted to ensure the government has legislative options ready to review and introduce as necessary in response to a range of pathogens. This will sit alongside a suite of prepared options for community protection measures to support swift decision-making and prioritisation to keep people safe,” the statement said.
Public Health and Prevention minister Sharon Hodgson said, “This strategy represents a serious, long-term commitment to protecting the public from future health threats. We learnt hard lessons from Covid-19, and it is our responsibility to act on them.
“Informed by Exercise Pegasus - the largest pandemic exercise in UK history - this strategy strengthens our capabilities, allowing us to respond faster and more effectively when the next health threat emerges. The public deserves nothing less.”
Security minister Dan Jarvis, said, “It’s right we learn the lessons from the devastating impact Covid-19 had on our health service and society. Our new pandemic strategy marks a major improvement in the government’s preparedness for future pandemics.
“Whether increasing the supply of British-made vaccines, or stockpiling PPE for key workers, we’re working with partners across the public and private sector to take action to keep the country safe.”
UKHSA chief executive Susan Hopkins said, “The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us the vital importance of being prepared for future health threats and this strategy underlines a shared commitment across Government to continue building our resilience capabilities.
“Our experience of responding to large-scale incidents and pandemics enables us to ensure that future responses are more effective, efficient and equitable, and we continue to play our part in developing our capabilities for diagnostics, surveillance, vaccine development and testing, to keep our country’s health secure.”
