During the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, NHS England Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard revealed that a request for an additional 10,000 permanent hospital beds, made in July 2020, was denied by the Treasury. Pritchard described the decision as ‘very disappointing’, noting that the extra beds could have alleviated waiting lists and strengthened the NHS’s resilience ahead of a predicted winter wave. Despite pressure, health services managed to operate, but faced overwhelming challenges as community transmission surged. This inquiry aims to evaluate the pandemic’s impact on UK healthcare systems, with former health ministers set to testify.