The hearings will assess the governmental and societal response to Covid as well as examining the impact the pandemic had on healthcare systems, patients and health care workers.

Held for 10 weeks in London with a two-week break the public hearings will cover healthcare governance, primary care, NHS backlogs, the effects on healthcare provision by vaccination programmes as well as long Covid diagnosis and support.

Unison, the Health and Safety Executive and Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice will be among the organisations giving evidence this week.

Nicola Brook, solicitor at Broudie Jackson Canter, which represents the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK group, said: ‘This module of the inquiry is one of the most important in understanding the true horrors of the pandemic.

‘It will reveal some of the most shocking details, distressing stories and outrageous scandals that took place.

‘Despite the narrative pedalled by those in charge that the UK coped, the sad fact is people died unnecessarily.

‘Groups like the disabled and the elderly were written off because it was considered that their lives were not worth saving.'