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Closed petition Launch a Public Inquiry into excess mortality in England and Wales
A Public Inquiry must be urgently held to discuss the reasons and potential causes behind the excess death rate in England and Wales since the middle of October 2022.
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The excess deaths are of huge concern to the public and the causes must be established. Some are concerned that these excess deaths may be a result of the Covid 19 vaccines. An urgent investigation is needed to establish the true causes.
This petition is closed All petitions run for 6 months
Government responded
This response was given on 11 July 2023
The Government has no plans for a further public inquiry. It is taking steps to reduce excess deaths. There is no evidence linking excess deaths to the COVID-19 vaccine.
The ONS published analysis in February 2023 that showed that the COVID-19 mortality rate has been consistently lower since the COVID-19 vaccine booster introduction in September 2021 for people who have had at least a third dose or booster, compared with unvaccinated people and those with just a first or second dose. When looking at deaths from other causes, mortality rates are broadly consistent between those who have received at least a third dose or booster and those who have not received any. The observed excess deaths are likely caused by a range of factors, but COVID-19 vaccination is not one of them.
Safe and effective vaccines have underpinned our strategy for living with COVID-19 and have saved tens of thousands of lives, whilst also significantly reducing the pressure on the NHS. Each candidate COVID-19 vaccine is assessed by teams of scientists and clinicians on a case-by-case basis and is only authorised once it has met robust standards of effectiveness, safety and quality set by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA has also implemented a proactive vaccine safety surveillance strategy for monitoring the continued safety of all UK-approved COVID-19 vaccines. Antivirals and other treatments provide a necessary additional defence by protecting patients who become infected with COVID-19, particularly those for whom the vaccine may be less effective such as the immunosuppressed. We are preparing for variants of COVID-19 and seasonal flu infections with an integrated COVID-19 booster and flu vaccination programme, minimising hospital admissions from both viruses.
We have also launched a COVID-19 Inquiry to examine the UK’s preparedness and response to the pandemic and learn lessons for the future. Throughout the pandemic the Government acted to save lives and livelihoods, prevent the NHS being overwhelmed and deliver a world-leading vaccine rollout, which protected millions of lives across the nation. The Department is committed to supporting the Inquiry. The Inquiry also plans to add a Module on Vaccines and Therapeutics (Module 4).
In addition to work to reduce deaths from COVID-19, we are also taking steps to reduce deaths from other diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recent data shows that more people are now receiving an NHS Health Check, a core part of our CVD prevention pathway, than before the pandemic. However, we want to go even further by creating a national digital check. The Department of continues to work with partners to consider what more can be done to improve the prevention, detection, diagnosis and management of CVD and we will set out our plan in the Major Conditions Strategy. Further information: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-01-24/hcws514
We know that when people have heart attacks and strokes they need urgent care. That is why we have set an ambition in the recently published delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services for ambulances getting to patients quicker: with improved ambulance response times for Category 2 incidents to 30 minutes on average over 2023/24, with further improvement in 2024/25 towards pre-pandemic levels. Further information: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2023/01/major-plan-to-recover-urgent-and-emergency-care-services/
The NHS has published a delivery plan setting out how the NHS will recover and expand elective services over the next three years. The plan commits the NHS to deliver 9 million additional treatments and diagnostic procedures over the next three years and around 30 per cent more elective activity than it was doing before the pandemic by 2024-25. Through the pathway improvement programme, we will create extra capacity for elective care and improve patient health outcomes. Further information: https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/delivery-plan-for-tackling-the-covid-19-backlog-of-elective-care/
Department of Health and Social Care
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On Friday 20 October, MPs debated trends in excess deaths in the House of Commons. This was an Adjournment debate, led by Andrew Bridgen MP. Maria Caulfield MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care responded on behalf of the Government.
What are Adjournment debates?
Adjournment debates are general debates which do not end in a vote. They give a backbench MP the opportunity to raise an issue and receive a response from a government minister.
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MPs debate trends in excess deaths
On Tuesday 16 January, MPs took part in a Westminster Hall debate on trends in excess deaths. The debate was led by Andrew Bridgen MP. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Maria Caulfield MP responded to the debate on behalf of the Government.
What is a Westminster Hall debate?
Westminster Hall is the second chamber of the House of Commons. Westminster Hall debates give MPs an opportunity to raise local and national issues and receive a response from a government minister. Westminster Hall debates are general debates that do not end in a vote.
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Covid-19 pandemic response and trends in excess deaths debated by MPs
On Thursday 18 April, MPs debated the covid-19 pandemic response and trends in excess deaths. The debate was led by Andrew Bridgen MP.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Maria Caulfield MP, responded on behalf of the Government.
The debate was scheduled by the Backbench Business Committee.
What are backbench business debates?
Backbench business debates give backbenchers (MPs who aren’t ministers or shadow ministers) an opportunity to secure a debate on a topic of their choice, either in the House of Commons Chamber or Westminster Hall.
MPs can make a request for a debate to the Backbench Business Committee, which decides which debates to schedule.
Backbench debates can either be general debates (which do not end in a vote) or be on a substantive motion (which calls for an action and can end in a vote). This debate was on a substantive motion, calling on the on the Covid-19 Inquiry to move onto its module four investigation into vaccines and therapeutics as soon as possible.
Visual explainer: Backbench Business debates
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