No.10 rejects NHS call to trigger Covid Plan B despite highest deaths since March
21 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
No.10 rejects NHS call to trigger Covid Plan B despite highest deaths since March
Government "sticking to autumn and winter plan", spokesperson says
DHSC signs £3.75m one-year deal to bring Test and Trace data platform in house
20 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
DHSC signs £3.75m one-year deal to bring Test and Trace data platform in house
Information will be moved from BAE-developed platform to be managed by new public health agency
Use Spending Review to address costly Covid backlogs, chancellor urged
19 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
Use Spending Review to address costly Covid backlogs, chancellor urged
IfG identifies backlogs in five major public services post-pandemic
Civil servants are working from home to save on lunch costs, claims minister
13 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
Civil servants are working from home to save on lunch costs, claims minister
Latest salvo comes despite No.10 confirming “steady return” of officials to workplaces
Covid exposed ‘major deficiencies in the machinery of government’, inquiry finds
12 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
Covid exposed ‘major deficiencies in the machinery of government’, inquiry finds
Initial pandemic response 'one of the UK's most important public health failures', MPs say
IDS slammed for 'ahistorical drivel' after saying home-working officials fall short of 'wartime generation'
11 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
IDS slammed for 'ahistorical drivel' after saying home-working officials fall short of 'wartime generation'
Ex-work and pensions secretary compared to "old man on a park bench screaming into the wind"
Stats regulator urges ministers and officials to implement Covid lessons
08 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
Stats regulator urges ministers and officials to implement Covid lessons
Pandemic sparked “unprecedented public engagement" with health data but highlighted challenges, OSR says
Meg Hillier: Covid isn’t a licence for departments to act fast and loose on procurement
06 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
Meg Hillier: Covid isn’t a licence for departments to act fast and loose on procurement
Public Accounts Committee will continue to challenge government on its award of contracts, says chair
Labour would claw back money spent on failing Covid contracts, Reeves pledges
28 Sep 2021 Coronavirus
Labour would claw back money spent on failing Covid contracts, Reeves pledges
Shadow chancellor also promises “biggest wave of insourcing in a generation” if party wins next general election
Departments take cautious approach on return to office
27 Sep 2021 Coronavirus
Departments take cautious approach on return to office
Ministries trial hybrid-working plans but fears remain about staff being pressured back to desks
DfE rebuffs call for systematic review of Covid response
15 Sep 2021 Coronavirus
DfE rebuffs call for systematic review of Covid response
Department is focusing on ongoing improvements and government-wide public inquiry, perm sec Susan Acland-Hood says
Vaccines minister pressured to accelerate officials’ return to offices
07 Sep 2021 Coronavirus
Vaccines minister pressured to accelerate officials’ return to offices
Nadim Zahawi says departments must 'lead by example' on return to office, despite support for hybrid working
Police thwart anti-vax protesters’ bid to storm MHRA headquarters
06 Sep 2021 Coronavirus
Police thwart anti-vax protesters’ bid to storm MHRA headquarters
Union chief condemns “utterly disgraceful” behaviour of anti-vaccine campaigners outside Department of Health and Social Care executive agency
Economic bounce-back ‘won’t shield departments in Spending Review’
31 Aug 2021 Coronavirus
Economic bounce-back ‘won’t shield departments in Spending Review’
Institute for Government says Sunak will need to find additional funding to protect public services
Scottish Government to hold own Covid-19 inquiry
26 Aug 2021 Coronavirus
Scottish Government to hold own Covid-19 inquiry
With UK-wide public inquiry delayed until 2022, Sturgeon says Scotland's probe should start "as soon as possible"
DHSC signs contract to buy 35 million more doses of Pfizer vaccine
24 Aug 2021 Coronavirus
DHSC signs contract to buy 35 million more doses of Pfizer vaccine
Booster programme will help "future-proof the country from the threat of Covid-19"
DHSC to pay up to £125k for six-month post after test and trace comms chief moves to royal household
20 Aug 2021 Coronavirus
DHSC to pay up to £125k for six-month post after test and trace comms chief moves to royal household
Contract to fill “prominent and politically sensitive role” awarded without competitive tender
Scottish Government sticks with homeworking advice as restrictions lift
09 Aug 2021 Coronavirus
Scottish Government sticks with homeworking advice as restrictions lift
Employers are also encouraged to move towards a hybrid model in the longer term
No.10 and DfE ‘refused to make Covid contingency plans for schools’
05 Aug 2021 Coronavirus
No.10 and DfE ‘refused to make Covid contingency plans for schools’
Fear of leaks led to “unforgivable” pandemic decisions, think tank says
A quarter of DfE officials return to office as Sunak urges young people to ditch home working
03 Aug 2021 Coronavirus
A quarter of DfE officials return to office as Sunak urges young people to ditch home working
"Quite frankly, they are all excited to come back," education minister says
Government analyses social ‘narratives and influencers’ to support Covid response
30 Jul 2021 Coronavirus
Government analyses social ‘narratives and influencers’ to support Covid response
Contract worth £1.4m signed at the start of the year
DHSC scales up ‘cough in a box’ technology to detect Covid-19
27 Jul 2021 Coronavirus
DHSC scales up ‘cough in a box’ technology to detect Covid-19
Scheme uses algorithms to identify coronavirus by processing recordings of an individual’s cough
'Financial risk for years to come' as Covid costs hit £372bn, MPs warn
26 Jul 2021 Coronavirus
'Financial risk for years to come' as Covid costs hit £372bn, MPs warn
Some departments cannot provide "robust assessment of their Covid-related activity"
Perm sec acknowledges concerns over tweaked Covid quarantine rules
20 Jul 2021 Coronavirus
Perm sec acknowledges concerns over tweaked Covid quarantine rules
DfT chief Bernadette Kelly tells MPs special category created for France “does add some complications”