, Cabinet Secretary for Health
and Social Care: The Principles for Pandemic
Preparedness which have been developed and endorsed by all
four nations in the UK, is being published today Pandemic Preparedness Strategy:
building our capabilities - GOV.UK. This is an important
document, which will help ensure Wales is better prepared in the
event of a future pandemic or emergency.
The Covid-19 pandemic, and the initial findings from the UK
Covid-19 Inquiry, have demonstrated the crucial importance of the
four UK governments working together in a co-ordinated manner,
while respecting devolution and the unique needs of each part of
the UK, in the event of a national public health emergency.
Pandemic planning should reflect a joined-up approach to risk and
there are already well-established areas of collaboration across
the four nations, including co-ordinated surveillance mechanisms
between UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the public health
agencies of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland; co-ordinated
procurement exercises for vaccines, medicines and personal
protective equipment (PPE); and shared data platforms.
The principles being published today provide a strong foundation
to further our collaboration, reflecting a shared commitment to
ensure the UK is better equipped to face the challenge of future
pandemics. They build on the lessons identified from the pandemic
and are shaped by the findings of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry and
early findings from Exercise Pegasus, which was the largest
non-military exercise ever to take place in the UK. It tested the
government's ability to respond quickly and effectively during a
prolonged crisis, with reports to be published by both the UK and
Welsh Government at the end of 2026.
All four UK governments will develop and implement their
approaches to improve preparedness and will work together to
develop cross-UK capabilities within these guiding principles.
They include protecting those most at risk, with governments
committing to tailoring their capabilities to protect all
communities and aiming to deliver an effective and equitable
response to pandemics. The approach is grounded in a One Health
perspective, recognising links between human, animal and
environmental health, and is driven by evidence-based
decision-making using robust data, science and expert advice.
