The UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s report on the adult social care sector, known as Module 6, has been described by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) as “a damning assessment of how social care was so badly failed.” The RCN responded to the report on 20 October 2026.
For the many nurses who worked in care homes during the pandemic, a large number of them internationally recruited from the Philippines, India, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ghana and elsewhere, the findings put on record what they lived through.
What the RCN says the inquiry found
According to the RCN’s summary of the report:
- Social care was already underfunded and nursing shortages were widespread before the pandemic began.
- Authorities did not recognise how infection was spreading and did not supply adequate personal protective equipment (PPE). The RCN describes these failures as preventable.
- The hospital discharge policy treated vulnerable people and social care staff as lesser. Care homes did not have the staff or safe capacity to take patients at the speed they were ordered to.
- Requests from the sector for specific guidance on transmission went unheard, and central government and key agencies showed little understanding of how social care actually worked.
- Many staff died, and significant numbers developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The inquiry recommends that adult social care be better integrated into pandemic planning.
What nurses’ leaders want now
Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, said the report was “a damning assessment of how social care was so badly failed.” The RCN is calling for:
- Integration of adult social care into pandemic planning to start now, not after the next emergency.
- Cross-government action to make social care a more attractive place to work.
- A funded workforce action plan to increase staff numbers.
- A voluntary register for care workers, so the unregistered workforce can be tracked, trained and supported in an emergency.
- Investment in services, because, the RCN says, the thousands of daily delays in discharging patients from hospital show the sector is not ready for another pandemic.
Why this matters to international nurses
Social care is one of the main entry points for internationally educated nurses into the UK, either as registered nurses in nursing homes or, in some cases, as senior carers while they work towards NMC registration. Many came on Health and Care Worker visas. The inquiry’s findings on staffing and PPE are relevant for three reasons:
- Your right to safe equipment. UK employers have a legal duty to protect staff. If PPE, training or staffing are inadequate, raise it in writing, and contact your union.
- Your right to speak up. Raising concerns about patient safety is part of the NMC Code. Visa holders sometimes fear that speaking up will cost them their job; whistleblowing protections apply to them too.
- Your mental health. If you worked through the pandemic and still have flashbacks, anxiety or trouble sleeping, help is available through your GP and occupational health. PTSD is treatable.
The bigger picture
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry, chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, is examining the pandemic in a series of modules covering preparedness, political decision-making, the healthcare system, vaccines, procurement, care and other areas. Its reports are not legally binding, but government is expected to respond to the recommendations.
The lessons go beyond the UK. Countries across Africa and Asia also saw nurses work without enough PPE, and many lost colleagues. With Ebola again on the agenda in East and West Africa this year, the message about protecting health workers before an outbreak, not after, applies everywhere.
Related: Nurse burnout: signs and what to do · NMC’s new fitness to practise rules · Nigeria’s Ebola IPC readiness drive
Source: Royal College of Nursing press release, 20 October 2026, responding to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry Module 6 report.