UK COVID-19 Inquiry|26 Nov 2024

Margaret Waterton testifies from the Scottish COVID Bereaved.

• Warning: Contains details of an extremely harrowing nature.

This is the most shocking witness statement i have read to date and the conclusions reached by the group in light of their own evidence is chilling.

Introduction

Margaret Waterton ( a former nurse) makes this statement on behalf of Scottish Covid Bereaved (SCB). The Scottish members of our group originally started out as part of the group Covid Bereaved Families For Justice UK (CBFFJ) which was formed on Facebook in June 2020.

NB: Please take the time to read the witness statement highlights (barely covered during oral evidence which was a brief 36 minute affair) which details out in no uncertain terms the catastrophic harm inflicted upon populations due to ‘COVID’ response policies.

The inquiry would rather you not know about all this.

• One example; a 39yo with learning disabilities placed on no consent DNACPR dies from a heart attack= ‘COVID’.

‘‘Our member whose 39 year old sister died from covid. This member found out following her sister's death that a DNACPR had been put in place when her sister was in the hospital with covid. She has explained that her sister did know about this but wanted it removed. She further explained that her sister had learning difficulties and so this member has serious concerns that DNACPR was discussed with her sister without a family member present to help her understand. Her sister had been discharged from hospital but then shortly after was readmitted. When readmitted she had had a heart attack and as the DNACPR was still in place the medical team could therefore not actively resuscitate her and she died.’’

-Paragraph 48 of statement

Testimony highlights

DNACPR

‘‘Not only was the discussion around DNACPR not had with family members,the next of kin, people with power of attorney on so on but that DNR consent was gained inappropriately.’’

‘‘My mother was absolutely horrified…she did not have capacity to consent to DNACPR…my mother said i felt (the doctor) was putting words in my mouth.’’

‘‘We were concerned they were being used as a proxy for no excalation of care.’’

‘‘The number of our members who were not communicated with about the decisions that were having to be made about their loved ones care ongoing treatment and escalation of care is the majority, there are huge concerns.’’

Lockdown visiting

‘‘Mistakes were made. Lessons will be learned. Following the science.’’

‘‘We had members who were told that they can be with their loves ones when they died but if they did that they wouldn’t be able to attend the funeral.’’

‘‘Everything was forbidden and it was all because of COVID.’’

Healthcare access

GP surgeries were closed during lockdown. Consultations were by telephone only. Many patients had delayed diagnosis.

‘‘One of our members..their family member had several repeat telephone conultations and eventually when that individual did manage to see a GP (it was discovered) they had an underlying cancer that hadn’t been picked up for some months.’’

‘‘We had one member discharged seriously unwell and subsequently she died.’’

Statement highlights

The vast majority of this was excluded from oral evidence.

‘‘Our membership includes relatives of an individual who contracted covid whilst in custody and died in custody. The individual had asthma and after becoming unwell with Covid and displaying significant Covid symptoms he was denied fundamental health care.’’

-Paragraph 10 of statement

‘‘One member's story is of the catastrophic consequences of her loved one not having access to an optician due to a receptionist missing a key symptom at triage.’’

-Paragraph 11 of statement

‘‘We are aware that there were occasions when the SAS ambulance service failed to take patients who were seriously ill with covid into hospital.’’

-Paragraph 13 of statement

‘‘A member of the group whose young adult son, who had an underlying health condition, became very ill with covid. An ambulance was called however, paramedics explained that this man '‘didn't fit the criteria’' to be admitted to hospital…When he was finally admitted to hospital, his condition had deteriorated to such an extent that treatment was unsuccessful, and he died.’’

-Paragraph 13 of statement

‘‘We also have a member whose elderly relative contracted covid whilst in hospital and despite being very unwell was sent home without an assessment of her care requirements being made. When at home their condition deteriorated…when this member's relative was finally admitted to hospital, the window to make any meaningful medical intervention had gone, and she died.’’

-Paragraph 15 of statement

‘‘Another member of the group had a relative who became very ill with Covid. NHS 111 was contacted, and they advised transport would be sent to take this person to a Covid Assessment Centre. However, while waiting for this transport to arrive, their condition deteriorated, and an ambulance was called…he was so seriously ill that he was immediately put into an ambulance that had actually been called for another patient at the centre. By the time this person reached the hospital and received treatment it was too late and they died.’’

-Paragraph 16 of statement

‘‘Our group member whose son, aged 28, became seriously unwell with covid symptoms. His partner phoned NHS 111 and was told if he got worse to 'phone back'. He then significantly deteriorated, and his partner phoned an ambulance. While on the phone to the emergency services at `999', he deteriorated further and by the time he got to hospital it was too late to save him.’’

-Paragraph 17 of statement

‘‘Another member whose brother was seriously ill with Covid, couldn't get through to NHS 111 so decided to attend the A & E department of their local hospital who refused to see him. They stayed outside the hospital and phoned '999' and eventually a doctor came out of the hospital, got a wheelchair and wheeled this man into the hospital. However, it was too late and any window of opportunity for meaningful medical intervention had passed, and he died.’’

-Paragraph 18 of statement

‘‘Early in the pandemic, another member whose mother, aged 76, became unwell and was experiencing pain, contacted her GP on numerous occasions over a period of 6-7 months. She was prescribed pain medication and on contacting the GP surgery, when this pain continued, she was simply given a re-prescription rather than being properly assessed with a view to finding out what was causing this pain. Further investigations only took place when this lady had a fall at home and required to be admitted to hospital. Whilst in hospital, the lady had diagnostic tests including x-ray and a scan and was diagnosed with cancer.’’

-Paragraph 21 of statement

‘‘One of our members was wrongly advised that they could either choose to be at their mother's bedside as she was dying, or they could opt to not attend to be with their mother when she died, but then would be able to attend at her funeral.’’

-Paragraph 23 of statement

‘‘Our member has told us that she continued to send messages and `voice notes' to her husband to try to comfort and reassure him but she does not know if he ever heard or saw them.’’

-Paragraph 28 of statement

‘‘We have a significant number of members who have explained that the treatment their loved one received for Covid 19 was either non-existent or inadequate. Many were denied the option of being admitted to hospital for treatment due to poor medical assessments at Covid Assessment Centres.’’

-Paragraph 29 of statement

‘‘We have a member who had a young adult son, who suffered from asthma, and contracted covid whilst in prison. He received no treatment for his symptoms and even when he was seriously ill, he wasn't admitted to hospital. He subsequently died in prison.’’

-Paragraph 30 of statement

‘‘We also have a member whose husband was extremely ill with Covid and had been admitted to `ICU'. He was a candidate for `ECMO' (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). However, due to miscommunication with hospital staff and this group member about this form of treatment, he subsequently did not receive this treatment and died at the age of 51.’’

-Paragraph 31 of statement

‘We have a member whose husband was complaining of Covid symptoms and was very unwell. An ambulance was called, and paramedics assessed him but left him at home advising that he did not require treatment in hospital. The ambulance then had to be called again the next day and by the time this man was admitted to hospital it was too late for him.’’

-Paragraph 32 of statement

‘‘We have a member whose vulnerable wife, due to previously having cancer, losing a kidney and suffering from asthma, contracted covid and was admitted to hospital. However, she was discharged two days after admission while still very unwell. She subsequently deteriorated at home and had to be readmitted and then died.’’

-Paragraph 37 of statement

DNACPR- ‘‘Many of our members experienced a significant difference between the rhetoric of ethical clinical practice and the reality.’’

-Paragraph 41 of statement

‘‘During the first national lockdown, almost no-one was allowed to visit their loved ones in hospital….our members had little opportunity to be with their loved ones when these conversations (DNACPR) were taking place.’’

-Paragraph 42 of statement

‘‘Another member has described feeling pressured into signing a DNACPR in relation to their mother who died from Covid. She has advised that she felt that a particular Junior Doctor had been tasked with getting her to sign a DNACPR in relation to her mother and had pestered her for days about this. As soon as the DNACPR was signed, this member never saw this particular Junior Doctor again.’’

-Paragraph 47 of statement

‘‘We have a number of members who have shared information about their experiences with Maternity Care during the pandemic. These services were seriously disrupted which led to pregnant women having to attend largely unsupported by their partner or other family members during this vulnerable time.’’

-Paragraph 49 of statement

‘‘This member didn't feel that her father was given a chance at fighting covid by hospital staff and also wasn't made comfortable at end of life. She has explained that when she was able to visit her father in hospital, she saw that he was really suffering. She begged hospital staff to give her father medication to settle him and this was refused. She was then asked by a nurse to stop asking them to help her father…This member has explained that her father fought, struggled, and thrashed around for 13 hours before he died.’’

-Paragraph 55 of statement

‘‘One of our members has explained that when her husband was admitted to hospital with Covid Pneumonia.. She had made it clear to the doctor that she wanted her husband to be afforded every effort and every level of care and treatment including ITU and ventilation. She became aware that the nature of the conversation and the questions the doctor was asking had changed. The doctor became focused on the general health and level of fitness of her husband….This member has explained that her husband still had lots of his life yet to live. He eventually was assessed for his suitability for ventilation and this member was shocked to find out that he was assessed as not a candidate for ventilation and would not be moved to ITU. He subsequently died.’’

-Paragraph 58 of statement

Thoughts

‘‘COVID’’..NOTHING else matters?

How bereaved families cannot see what was really responsible for mass harm and even deaths of many loved ones and countless thousands more during lockdown is beyond comprehension. Namely the harm from the COVID response and excessive fear mongering. This is effectively all openly admitted and yet the ‘‘COVID’’ threat always comes out on top as the primary focus and on ‘‘lessons to be learned.’’

The groups no.1 concern was nosocomial (hospital acquired) infection and that ‘‘asymptomatic transmission was not recognised quickly enough.’’ ‘‘Inconsistent guidance’’ was also front and centre along with ‘‘digital exclusion.’’

Furthermore, as with the recent COVID bereaved Wales group the same outcomes are all but demanded by the Scottish COVID bereaved for the next pandemic.. It seems we had too much freedom the first time around and all these stories we hear of death and sorrow and i get the impression are solely being used to emotionally blackmail populations in order they surrender their freedom even more fully in future.

I also thought it odd Ms.Waterton (who spoke like an authority on all things ‘COVID’ akin to a political figurehead or public health spokesperson) mentioned how she attended the ‘COVID’ bereaved memorial wall and tourists behaving normally taking selfies was unwelcome behaviour therefore she appeared to be placing the ‘COVID’ bereaved in a special class of citizenry because ‘‘for the rest of the world ‘COVID’ is forgotten.’’

This IS the current planned future trajectory for all according to the wishes of the various ‘COVID’ bereaved groups.

• More lockdowns

• More testing (mandatory)

• More masks (FFP3)

• Even stricter rules to follow

• More novel injections (likely mandatory)

..and despite all that is evidenced in their own statement the group still gushes over the NHS, public health ‘‘experts’’ and the WHO.

‘‘SCB members have no doubt as to the bravery and nothing short of heroic efforts of our country's healthcare staff and key workers.’’

-Paragraph 105 of statement

‘‘Lessons learned.’’

‘‘In any future pandemic, once available, testing should be mandated for, not only those suspected clinically of being affected, but also on a routine basis, patients and staff in any healthcare setting, residential settings ( care & nursing homes, prisons), those visiting any of these settings, and those with an underlying increased risk of severe disease and their family members. Such tests should be free of charge to the user.’’

-Paragraph 126 of statement

‘'In any future pandemic, unwell patients should be considered infected by the pathogen until proven otherwise; in other words, guidance issued to health care professionals should be less rigid.’’

-Paragraph 127 of statement

‘‘SCB urge recommendations that ensure that expert advice is central to future pandemic preparedness planning and that expert groups are co-ordinated across the 4 nations of the UK. SCB also urge that the Devolved Administrations are enabled to deal with situations as they arise in their populations, in line with 'WHO'guidelines which set out that epidemics and pandemics 'are best managed at the lowest practically effective level of Government' and 'not centrally managed.’’

-Paragraph 132 of statement

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Also on X. https://x.com/geofio8/status/1862181406824108335?s=61

End

Links:

Full statement- https://covid19.public-inquiry.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/26175342/INQ000425385.pdf

Full video-Youtube-UK Covid 19 Inquiry - Module 3 Hearing - 26 November 2024 AM

https://trialinternational.org/who-we-are/