The Covid inquiry has been slammed for “not centring the bereaved” and 'breaking promises' as the review entered a new phase this week.

The probe, launched by former prime minister Boris Johnson in 2022, will now look at how the pandemic impacted patients, frontline staff and the wider NHS which saw over 200,000 deaths with Covid listed as a cause.

But campaigners from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK group expressed concerns over the lack of input from those who lost loved ones, as only two people out of the 23 put forward have been selected to give evidence.

Lobby Akinnola whose key worker father Femi, 60, used his personal gloves as PPE and was found dead on the sofa of their family home, says he was told by the inquiry that this was due to “time limitations."

However, the scientist says it is “nearly impossible" to have such a small number of people representing the experience of bereaved in the "most crucial modules."

Furthermore, Lobby added that the inquiry was no longer looking at the role of inequality and race during the pandemic, as well as having the hearings solely being based in London, despite earlier pledges that it would travel across the country.

He said: “There were a lot of promises made at the start of this inquiry for example, it would go around the country and people would be able to access it but here we are only in London.

“[Also] that bereaved families would be at the centre of the inquiry and it definitely hasn't felt like that.

“[They said] there would be a focus on inequality and race and at one point was going to have its own module, now it's only going to be sprinkled throughout. Those are the frustrations I feel."

The inquiry says that during Module 1 - its first investigation examining the UK’s pre pandemic preparedness and resilience - it heard expert evidence regarding pre pandemic structural racism and pre existing structural discrimination on other grounds.

Lobby went on to add that being a bereaved family member provided an invaluable insight into "what went wrong."

He said: “We’ve seen first hand exactly what went wrong. We’ve seen what happens when it goes wrong and we are best placed to speak to that and to answer the questions on what the consequences are of these decisions.

“What are the consequences of the system they’ve set up of underfunding the NHS for years, of NHS staff not being provided with PPE. There's so many things we can address.”

Lobby says he wants to see “accountability” from the inquiry and to show that those who lost loved ones are not “sacrificial lambs” for people in government.

He said: "I’m still in therapy and there are moments where I’m good and things are moving, and then you kind of just return to quiet chasm of loss where the absence of my father just resounds throughout everything. That’s something I carry forever now.

"I think we need to establish clearly the role of leadership and government in this country is not to further people’s careers, its a service and it's a duty and its role is to protect and serve the people.

“I would hope that we will send a message to current and future politicians or any form of authority in this country that we will not tolerate being sacrificial lambs paving the way for people’s careers, and just an abdication of duty on this scale ever again."

The inquiry says that it has visited locations across the UK and held public hearings in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as streaming the inquiry online.

An Inquiry Spokesperson said: “Chair of the Inquiry, Baroness Heather Hallett, has been clear that the experiences of those most directly impacted by the pandemic are central to the Inquiry’s work, especially the bereaved.

“The Inquiry has, through its listening exercise Every Story Matters, heard more than 43,000 stories of life during the pandemic from people from everywhere in the UK, including tragically many stories of bereavement. The Inquiry extends sincere sympathies to these individuals.

“The scale of the pandemic and the issues the Inquiry must look into means we cannot hear from everyone who may wish to give evidence during its hearings, but dozens of witnesses will be called to give evidence over the coming weeks, including many who experienced bereavement and loss during the pandemic.”