A POWYS Covid campaigner has said she is grateful after her group was given a cvoice on behalf of the people of Wales at the newly-launched pandemic inquiry.

On October 4, as the preliminary hearing for the inquiry to examine the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, began.

The group Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru were granted core participant status in Module 1 by the UK Covid-19 Inquiry Chair, inviting them to participate in the proceedings.

Module 1 will examine the resilience and preparedness of the United Kingdom for a pandemic, and the group is one of just 28 to be granted core participant status.

One of the group’s five original core members, Catherine Griffiths from Machynlleth, spoke about how she became involved with the cause.

She said: “In February 2020 I moved my dad, RAF Group Captain Harold Griffiths, to a care home in Aberystwyth so we could be closer, but obviously that was just before the pandemic.

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“There were 90 residents in that care home and by November at least 45, more than half, had contracted Covid-19. It was catastrophic.

“We paid £4,500 per month for him to be kept safe and he simply wasn’t, but there was no investigation because care homes have no obligation to conduct inquiries over these matters.

“I felt frustration and despair, and got no answers whatsoever. When I spoke to other members of the group I found that they were in a similar situation, with no answers.”

As one of only 28 groups granted this status, they will play a key role in the inquiry process, including making legal submissions, receiving disclosure of documentation, suggesting questions, and receiving advance notice of the inquiry’s report.

Speaking on the group’s role in the inquiry, Ms Griffiths added: “We’re grateful to be given the opportunity to speak on behalf of the people of Wales, for the people who may not otherwise have a voice in these proceedings.

“We want to ensure that the inquiry can carry out its duties, get to the truth, reveal facts about the matter, expose any misconduct and hold people and institutions accountable for any failures.

“Personally, we’re hoping the Covid situation in Wales receives the deep scrutiny it deserves, as deep an examination as it needs.”

The group has met multiple times with First Minister Mark Drakeford, who maintained that an independent Welsh inquiry is not the best route forward, counter to Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru’s stance.

The First Minister has continued to insist that all decisions made by the Welsh Government must be seen in the context of those made by the UK Government.