'Matt Hancock is just trying to salvage his reputation - lockdown was too late for my dad'

Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock deed retired astatine lockdown sceptics portion giving grounds astatine the Covid Inquiry, but bereaved girl Rivka Gottlieb accused him of arrogance and incompetence

Matt Hancock has been accused of being much acrophobic with redeeming his estimation than redeeming lives successful the future.

The shamed erstwhile Health Secretary insisted that lockdowns should beryllium brought successful arsenic aboriginal arsenic imaginable if a pandemic strikes again. This is contempt Government dithering astatine the commencement of the Covid crisis.

Mr Hancock besides claimed that bash not rescuscitate (DNR) orders had "obviously" been wrongly utilized during the pandemic. Giving grounds to the Covid Inquiry connected Friday helium insisted helium had acted "immediately" erstwhile helium became alert of concerns.

He besides claimed it was "false, incorrect and dangerous" to accidental lockdowns should beryllium avoided successful the future.

Rivka Gottlieb, whose begetter Michael died the time earlier the archetypal lockdown, said: " Matt Hancock spent this greeting failing to support his bequest successful the look of indisputable and damning evidence. Even now, successful the aftermath of implicit 230,000 Covid 19 deaths, helium maintains that determination are nary lessons to beryllium learned from his clip arsenic Secretary of State for Health."

Her begetter was 73 erstwhile helium died successful April 2020. Rivka, speaking connected behalf of the Covid 19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK group, said Mr Hancock glossed implicit failings that could person saved thousands of lives.

She said: "Lockdown was 9 days aboriginal than it should person been, which led to my father’s death, alongside thousands of others." And she added added: "We haven’t learnt overmuch from his appearance, beyond the information that helium is much acrophobic by defending his estimation than redeeming lives successful the future.

"He was ne'er acceptable for nationalist office, and the nationalist person suffered the deadly consequences of his arrogance and incompetence."

During his grounds Mr Hancock said a reappraisal should beryllium carried retired into the mode DNR orders were used. He said: “I surely deliberation a reappraisal similar that should beryllium looked astatine due to the fact that it’s evident that determination were cases erstwhile DNR notices were wrongly applied.

"And I deliberation the contented of consent is truthful important here.” He admitted that nary specified reappraisal had been mooted portion helium was successful office, but went on: “Now, of course, we’re nary longer successful a pandemic, and truthful present would beryllium an due infinitesimal to see doing that.”

He claimed to person acted "immediately" that concerns were raised. Mr Hancock - who was forced to discontinue aft video emerged showing him kissing a workfellow portion restrictions were successful spot - said: “The world is that arsenic soon arsenic I heard astir this being a imaginable occupation and these concerns being raised with me, I instantly acted, due to the fact that I consciousness truthful powerfully astir this.

“And I went nationalist connected it, including utilizing the level of the regular property league to reiterate the full unacceptability of this and I discussed it with the NHS leadership, whose work it was to halt it from happening.”

The erstwhile Health Secretary lashed retired astatine lockdown sceptics, saying it should beryllium an important instrumentality successful aboriginal pandemics. He stated: “The implicit fig 1 happening that we tin bash to debar this benignant of trauma for NHS unit is to bring successful lockdown measures aboriginal successful effect to a pandemic-level pathogen.

“And I deliberation that those who recognize the effect of waiting earlier bringing successful measures that are going to beryllium indispensable request to unite to triumph that argument. There are inactive radical making the statement that lockdown wasn’t necessary, oregon successful aboriginal we should effort to bash without it.

“I deliberation that is false, incorrect and dangerous, and the lawsuit needs to proceed to beryllium made truthful that should a pandemic-potential pathogen [hit us], which could hap astatine immoderate time, we’re ready.”