AUSTERITY and unclear guidance led to lives being lost during the Covid-19 pandemic, the independent inquiry in the authorities’ handling of the crisis has heard.

The STUC told UK Covid-19 Inquiry chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallet on Wednesday that years of austerity cuts had proved “lethal” as short-staffed and under-resourced health and social care services faced their biggest challenge in post-war history.

STUC general secretary Roz Foyer, who testified before the inquiry, said: “Workers across our economy, especially in health and social care, were dangerously exposed to the virus through a deadly combination of understaffing, PPE shortages and poor pandemic planning from central government.

“With a Health and Safety Executive hamstrung by budget cuts and, with limits on devolution, a Scottish government unable to effectively legislate on employment and health and safety matters, working people were caught in the cross-fire with grave results.”