Covid inquiry: Missing data on NHS staff Covid deaths in Wales

In April 2020, PHW put in place a rapid surveillance reporting tool to gather information on Covid deaths sooner than official death registrations take compile.

This enabled those managing the pandemic to get daily update and respond to change as it developed.

An electronic reporting form was set up for health boards to complete after each Covid death, including information on whether they were a key worker or not.

But Prof Khaw said there was a “significant element of missing data” on key NHS and social care workers who had died of Covid.

“Throughout the pandemic it was clear there were elements of the form which were not as well complete as they might be. There was missing information,” he told the inquiry.

“For example, in the 6,514 deaths registered throughout the life of this form, there were over a thousand elements of missing data in the question of key worker status.”