Covid Inquiry latest: Boris Johnson was ‘wrong’ prime minister to tackle pandemic

Mr Cain has admitted he did not consult with NHS leaders over the use of the “Protect the NHS” slogan, Blathnaid Corless reports. 

“I didn’t directly have conversations with leaders of the NHS,” he told inquiry Counsel Andrew O’Connor KC. He said the “government machine” would keep everyone informed about the plans, and that no complaints were raised to him about the slogam.

Mr O’Connor pointed out that the NHS leadership did criticise this campaign in particular, because “the concept of protecting the NHS created a risk that people would delay seeking medical treatment that they needed for other non COVID related health problems such as heart problems, or cancer, or those sorts of matters”.

Mr Cain said it was only after he left Government that these concerns were brought to his attention. 

When pressed by Mr O’Connor that his campaign prevented people from going to hospitals during lockdown, he denied this, saying: “No, you know, I don’t think that is what the campaign is telling people to do.”