UK COVID-19 inquiry|8 Oct 2025

Startling evidence. Profesor Steve Turner. President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Oct 09, 2025

Introduction

Professor Steve Turner is President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and has been in this role since March 2024. Prior to that he was RCPCH Registrar from Spring 2021 to Spring 2024 and RCPCH Officer for Scotland from 2016 to early 2021. Currently a consultant paediatrician in general and respiratory paediatrics at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital.

..The direct impact of the COVID-19 virus on babies, children and young people was minimal…

…but the indirect impact on their physical and mental health and well-being, their education and their health services is still very acute, We are now seeing how damaging a lack of prioritisation can be to the holistic needs of babies, children and young people.’’

-Paragraph 46 of statement

Testimony highlights

No consideration given on lockdown impacts on children.
Children now suffer long term consequences due to decisions made by adults.

‘‘There was not enough consideration given to the INNUMERABLE, HARMFUL ‘indirect harms’ that was done to them as a consequence of the provisions made around COVID.’’

‘‘I was in clinic on Monday seeing five and six year old’s who are still not toilet trained.’’

‘‘Children continue TODAY to suffer from what we did during the pandemic.’’

Children ‘‘grounded’’ in lockdown

No recognition on the suffering of children by government.
Harms caused to children DELIBERATE.
Clinical abandonment led to ‘anxieties’.
Healthy children developed mental health problems after lockdown.

‘‘What was being done DELIBERATELY to children and young people, KNOWINGLY and WANTINGLY recognising all of the harm that it (lockdown) was doing and there is a whole list of indirect harms that were done.’’

‘‘There were children who DIDN’T have mental health problems before COVID but these emerged.’’

Lethal consequences of lockdown for children

Harms from restrictions on children disproportionate.
An ‘unprecedented’ >50% reduction in EMERGENCY admissions.
‘Stay at home’ messaging resulted in delayed presentations which was killing more children than ‘COVID.’ eg; 9 deaths from cancer and sepsis.
Unidagnosed cancers.
Pediatric staff redeployed to care for adults.
Climbing wait lists.

‘‘The benefits are OVERSHADOWED by the NEGATIVE consequences. First and foremost if the direct impact on their health.’’

‘‘In Scotland children’s emergency department attendances fell proportionately more than any other age group. This raises concern that children with CRITICAL ILLNESSES were not accessing health services..therefore suffering potentially avoidable harm.’’

Second lockdown

Despite knowledge of lockdown harms on children this was ignored.
No impact assessment.
Sick children not vulnerable to ‘COVID.’
Increases in anorexia and an ‘unprecedented’ mental health crises.

‘‘Come second lockdown Christmas 2020 the same thing was done even though we KNEW children mercifully were spared from the harm that came from COVID.’’

‘‘Even my most sick patients..these vulnerable children were remarkably unaffected.’’

‘‘We KNEW mental health was going up we had seen so many young people coming in with anorexia we KNEW we were doing LOADS OF HARM an yet we did exactly the same thing.’’

No need for shielding

Anxiety caused by fear around ‘COVID.’

‘‘We KNEW very early on children who’ve had kidney transplants who's immune system is suppressed..the virus bounced off them.’’

The next pandemic in children and Project Pegasus

Here is yet ANOTHER very troubling remark that the next pandemic may effect children. This was also stated by Stuart Gayle KC recently at the Scottish COVID-19 inquiry. A prelude of what is to come?