Responding to the Public Accounts Committee report on the government's response to the pandemic, deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said:

"The response of the frontline NHS to the pandemic has been nothing short of remarkable.

"However, what has emerged since the start of the pandemic is a number of missteps by Government and a failure to get a handle on some key services fundamental to managing the pandemic.

"We have said time and again that one of the scandals to come to light during COVID-19 has been the impact of a lack of sustained investment in social care. The frailty of the care sector has been exacerbated by a lack of central government support for local authorities.

"Early in the pandemic there was a lack of focus from Government on ensuring those organisations beyond hospitals could access the PPE they needed. Yet again the care sector suffered from a lack of support.

"One of the central tenets of pandemic management - the test and trace programme - has also been beset with issues, beginning with the Government’s slow decision making in deciding to roll it out and its subsequent coordination and implementation.

"Lessons must be learnt from these mistakes, and fast, so that should there be a second wave or another novel disease outbreak, the Government can deliver a more robust response."