A major COVID-19 inquiry in the UK has concluded that the government responded “too little, too late” during the early months of the pandemic, causing thousands of avoidable deaths.

The report, released in London on Thursday, said slow decision-making and a failure to understand how serious the threat was led to around 23,000 excess deaths during the first wave in 2020.

The report, titled ‘Core UK decision-making and political governance’, said the strict nationwide lockdown might not have been needed if simple steps like early social distancing and isolating people with symptoms had been introduced before 16 March 2020.

The inquiry also criticised the governments of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, saying they all struggled with confusion and poor coordination.

“All four governments failed to appreciate the scale of the threat or the urgency of response it demanded in the early part of 2020,” the report stated.

Official records show that by the end of 2023, the UK reported more than 235,000 COVID-19 deaths. According to the inquiry, this number could have been lower if leaders had understood earlier how fast and dangerous the virus was.

The inquiry’s chair, Baroness Heather Hallett, said: “When they did realise the scale of the threat, politicians and administrators in the UK government and the devolved administrations were presented with unenviable choices as to how to respond. Whatever decision they took, there was often no right answer or good outcome. Nonetheless, I can summarise my findings of the response as 'too little, too late’.”

The report noted that government scientists underestimated the speed of the virus and advised against early restrictions, believing the public should wait until the virus was near its peak to help build herd immunity.

This nearly 800-page document is the second report out of 10 planned as part of the UK’s wider investigation into how the country handled the pandemic.