COVID, Grenfell & Infected Blood, Families Demand Action

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Families affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, the infected blood scandal, and the COVID-19 pandemic have united in expressing their fears that recommendations from their respective public inquiries will be ignored and forgotten. Despite the immense cost of these inquiries, there is no legal obligation for their recommendations to be implemented, raising concerns about the efficacy and impact of these extensive investigations.

 

As the seventh anniversary of the Grenfell disaster is marked by a "silent walk" in West London, campaigners highlight that not all recommendations from the first phase of the public inquiry into the fire have been implemented. This disaster, which claimed 72 lives, continues to haunt the survivors and the families of the victims, who are now calling for significant changes to ensure such tragedies do not recur.

 

 

Families impacted by the infected blood scandal and the COVID-19 pandemic have joined forces with Grenfell United, a campaign group representing those affected by the fire, to advocate for a new independent body that would scrutinize and analyze the work done after inquests and public inquiries. These groups, which also include COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice and Factor 8, assert that the current system fails to guarantee real change and fear that without proper oversight, the lessons from these tragedies will be ignored.

 

 

Lobby Akinnola, who lost his father Femi to COVID-19 in April 2020, and Jason Evans, whose father Jonathan died after contracting Hepatitis C and HIV from contaminated blood three decades earlier, are among those voicing their concerns. Both men stress that the most painful aspect of their loss is the time they never had with their loved ones. They, along with Edward Daffarn, a survivor of the Grenfell fire, are at different stages of the lengthy public inquiry process and share a common skepticism about the implementation of the resulting recommendations.

 

 

The Infected Blood Inquiry recently reported that the scandal was "not an accident," while Phase Two of the Grenfell Inquiry is expected in September. The COVID-19 inquiry is still years from completion. All three inquiries will eventually produce numerous recommendations designed to prevent similar tragedies in the future. However, the families involved have little confidence that these recommendations will be properly followed.

 

Grenfell United, COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, and Factor 8 support the creation of a National Oversight Mechanism, which would provide independent oversight and analysis of the work done following inquests, government-commissioned reviews, and public inquiries. They acknowledge that not every recommendation may be feasible to implement but argue that an oversight mechanism would ensure accountability and transparency, explaining why certain recommendations cannot be enacted.

 

Without such a mechanism, the campaigners fear that critical lessons will go unheeded and future lives will remain at risk. Jason Evans reflects on the continuous struggle for justice: "You have to fight just to get the inquiry. You have to fight to have the questions put to the witnesses. Of course, you're then going to have to fight for the recommendations, especially if they cost money. That's just very sadly a part of trying to get some sense of justice in this country."

 

Lobby Akinnola emphasizes the need for a "structural solution" to prevent similar issues from recurring in the future: "In another 30 years, there will be another three people around the same table talking about the same issues, and I don't think we can do that anymore."

 

Edward Daffarn points out the consequences of ignored recommendations, citing the Lakanal House fire in 2009, which killed six people. The coroner's report from that fire made recommendations about fire safety, which the government failed to act on, leading to the Grenfell tragedy in 2017. Daffarn is concerned that the initial recommendations from the Grenfell Inquiry have not been fully met. For example, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, the inquiry chair, recommended personal evacuation plans for all disabled people living in high-rise buildings, but the Home Office rejected this idea in 2022, citing "practicality," "proportionality," and "safety."

 

Adam Gabsi, who has multiple sclerosis and lives on the sixth floor of a building with similar cladding to Grenfell, took the government to court over this decision but lost. He underscores the dangers of inadequate evacuation plans, sharing his experience of being trapped in his building due to non-functional lifts.

 

Deborah Coles, executive director of the charity Inquest, which first called for a National Oversight Mechanism a year ago, stresses the importance of safeguarding future lives and ensuring the burden of pushing for change does not fall solely on families: "At the moment, this accountability gap which exists means recommendations about public health and safety can simply disappear into the ether, and that really does undermine trust and confidence in these legal processes."

 

The Home Office has stated that work continues on their recommendations and that they are committed to preventing another tragedy like Grenfell. Meanwhile, political parties have addressed the issue in their manifestos. Labour has pledged to act on the findings of the Infected Blood Inquiry and respond to the recommendations from the Grenfell and COVID-19 inquiries. The Conservative Party has highlighted their efforts to support leaseholders affected by building safety issues and ensure victims of major disasters receive the necessary help through a permanent Independent Public Advocate.

 

The united call from families affected by these tragedies for a National Oversight Mechanism reflects their determination to see real change and prevent future disasters. They hope that by establishing independent oversight, the lessons learned from their experiences will lead to meaningful action and improved safety for all.

 

Credit: Sky News 2024-06-15

 

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