FEMHO welcomes the Chair’s recommendations on the COVID-19 Public Inquiry Terms of Reference

The Federation of Ethnic Minority Healthcare Organisations (“FEMHO”) welcomes Baroness Hallett’s recommended amendments to the COVID-19 Inquiry Terms of Reference. In particular, we are encouraged and grateful for her recommendation that the Terms of Reference “be reframed to put possible inequalities at its forefront so that investigation into any unequal impacts of the pandemic runs through the whole Inquiry. This important recommendation will ensure the Inquiry is inclusive in its approach”. This was one of FEMHO’s key requests made both in written submissions and by Ade Adeyemi who represented us at the inquiry roundtable event we were invited to participate in during the consultation period. We are heartened that it has been taken on board by Baroness Hallett:

“FEMHO is ready to feed into the inquiry and fulfil Baroness Hallett’s request to the Prime Minister that inequalities have to be at the forefront of the inquiry. That our issues have been recognised as important is a great first step in this inquiry process and we’re itching to get started and share our side of the story, finally.”

Ade Adeyemi

We are a group of healthcare workers, including clinicians, researchers and ancillary staff concerned with the disproportionately adverse health outcomes of our members from COVID-19, both at the workplace and within our communities. We believe that the types of outcomes experienced by the BAME community raise serious questions about systemic underlying health inequalities and about how such inequalities ultimately impact in a way that is referrable to race and ethnic origin. We are committed to engaging with the Inquiry to ensure that all the facts relevant to these matters are laid bare, our expert knowledge and lived experiences are properly considered and that the inquiry is conducted in a robust and transparent manner such that real lessons can be learned and appropriate recommendations made. We are working with Saunders Law’s inquiries team on these matters. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised above, or have any queries please get in touch with Saunders Law at 020 7632 4300 or info@saunders.co.uk.