Opening Statement for Module 4 on behalf of Public Health Scotland

Public Health Scotland (“PHS”) welcomes this UK Inquiry which has been established to ascertain the UK’s preparedness for and response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the impact of the pandemic across the four nations of the UK and the lessons to be learned.

PHS is a core participant in a number of Modules in this Inquiry, including Module 4.

PHS is conscious that, although the Inquiry team is aware of the organisation PHS, the wider public may not know what PHS is or does or why it is a core participant in this Module.

This opening statement, therefore, contains a brief introduction first to the NHS in Scotland, and then to PHS, explaining its roles and its interest in this Module of the Inquiry.