External teams should be brought in to address the “acute problem of groupthink” among officials preparing the country for future pandemics, according to the UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry.

The first report from the pandemic probe highlights how expert advice was often “undermined by groupthink.” Inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett’s report recommends that external “red teams” should be used to “scrutinize and challenge” the evidence, policies, and advice related to pandemic preparedness.

Baroness Hallett emphasized the need for “fundamental reform” in the UK’s approach to preparing for pandemics, stating, “It is not a question of ‘if’ another pandemic will strike but ‘when.’” She outlined several measures to better prepare the UK for the next outbreak.

The recommendations include a UK-wide pandemic response exercise at least every three years, a “radical simplification” of civil emergency preparedness and resilience systems, and the creation of a single, independent body responsible for whole-system preparedness and response.

Key witnesses, including former Prime Minister David Cameron, former Chancellor George Osborne, former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, former Chief Medical Officer for England Dame Sally Davies, and current Chief Medical Officer for England Sir Chris Whitty, attributed at least some blame for the UK’s lack of pandemic preparedness to groupthink.

Baroness Hallett stated: “My report recommends fundamental reform of the way in which the UK Government and the devolved administrations prepare for whole-system civil emergencies. If the reforms I recommend are implemented, the nation will be more resilient and better able to avoid the terrible losses and costs to society that the Covid-19 pandemic brought.”

In the 217-page report, she added: “There must be radical reform. Never again can a disease be allowed to lead to so many deaths and so much suffering.”

The inquiry made 10 key recommendations:

1. Develop and test a new pandemic strategy at least every three years with a UK-wide crisis response exercise.
2. Publish a report on findings, lessons, and recommendations within three months of the exercise, and an action plan within six months.
3. Establish a new UK-wide whole-system civil emergency strategy, reassessed every three years to ensure it is up to date and effective.
4. Implement external “red teams” of experts from outside the government to challenge and guard against groupthink.
5. Create a committee chaired by the leader or deputy leader of government and made up of cabinet ministers to handle whole-system civil emergency preparedness and resilience.
6. Abolish the “lead government department model” for preparing for civil emergencies.
7. Develop a new risk assessment approach that considers a wider range of possibilities, beyond reasonable worst-case scenarios.
8. Publish a report on crisis response and preparedness every three years.
9. Consult with devolved administrations to create an independent statutory body for whole-system civil emergency preparedness, resilience, and response.
10. Establish mechanisms for the timely collection, analysis, and use of reliable data to inform emergency responses, tested in pandemic exercises.

The report underscores the necessity of these reforms to reduce the risk of loss and suffering in future pandemics.