UK 'Hugely Unprepared' for COVID-19 Pandemic Due to Years of Austerity, Says TUC Report

The report claims that funding cuts left health and social care understaffed, and reduced the capacity of public services to respond to the pandemic.

Furthermore, the report states that multiple years of pay caps and freezes undermined safe staffing levels in health and social care, which impeded recruitment and increased staff turnover.

Public services capacity was also damaged by "steep cuts" to almost every part of the public sector.

The report concludes that the pandemic exposed the UK's lack of preparedness and the consequences were "painful and tragic."