Health System Policy and the Pandemic in England, Assessing Its Impact and Shape

The policy response to the pandemic in England was characterised by a mixture of non- pharmaceuticalised and pharmaceuticalised policies with the former generally being a precursor to the latter. However, the adoption of and success of these policies hinged on the strength of the health system (health and social care and public health). Thus, the role played in this policy response by the health system, the extent to which it was prepared for a pandemic, its effectiveness at managing the pandemic and why and what the consequences were for the health of its workforce, the public’s health and for patient care will be the focus of this policy analysis. The analysis will draw on the recent evidence given at the current public inquiry in England.