Core Participants

Core participants have a central role in public inquiries and are afforded particular rights, as explained in the Inquiry’s Core Participant Protocol.

This includes:

making statements when the Inquiry holds public hearings, unless the Chair directs otherwise; 
proposing questions for Counsel to the Inquiry to ask witnesses; 
with the Chair’s permission, asking questions of witnesses at a public hearing; and
being provided with advance copies of the Inquiry’s reports relating to their interest in the Inquiry.

The Inquiry has published the list of those who have been designated as a core participant below.

It is not necessary for everyone wishing to be involved in the Inquiry to require core participant status. The role of a core participant is more than giving an account of personal experiences or producing documents - people can do that without being a core participant. Being a core participant does not mean a person's evidence has any greater value.

Visit the Get Involved section of the website to find out other ways to engage with the Inquiry. This includes sharing your experiences and the lessons you believe should be learned through the Inquiry's listening project, Let's Be Heard, which will be the main channel of engagement for individuals.

List of Core Participants

Lord Brailsford, Chair to the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry, has granted Core Participant status to the following individuals and organisations, according to their allocated Terms of Reference:

Core Participant	Allocated Terms of Reference
ALLIANCE (Health and Social Care Alliance)	d, f and h
CHRS and CHRS loved ones	a, b, c, d, e, g, h and i
City of Edinburgh Council	All terms of reference
College of Paramedics	a, c, e, f, g, h, i and k
CoSLA	a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, j, k and l
East Dunbartonshire Council	All terms of reference
Glasgow City Council	All terms of reference
Glasgow Disability Alliance	a, b, d, e, h, j and k
Bereaved Relatives Group (Skye)	b, c, e, g, h and i
Healthcare Improvement Scotland	g, h and i
Independent Care Homes Scotland	a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j and l
Families of Children with Additional Support Needs	a, b, c, f, g, h, j, k and l
Law Society of Scotland	a, b, g, i and l
Long Covid Kids Scotland	b, c, d, e, h, k and l
NHS National Services Scotland	a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h and i
NHS Territorial Health Boards and Special Health Boards	a, c, d, e, g, h, i and k
PAMIS	a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, and j
Public Health Scotland	a, b, c, d, e, f, g h, i and k
Refugees for Justice	a, b, c, f, h and j
Royal College of Nursing	a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i and k
rradar (Scotland) Limited	c, d, e, g, h and i
Scotland Excel	e, h and j
Scottish Care	a, b, c, e, g, h, i and l
Scottish Covid Bereaved	All terms of reference
Scottish Enterprise	e and l
Scottish Hazards	a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, k and l
Scottish Healthcare Workers Coalition	a, b, c, d, e, g, h, i, j and l
Scottish Ministers	All terms of reference
SQA	b and k
Scottish Trades Union Congress	All terms of reference
Scottish Vaccine Injury Group	d
The Care Inspectorate	e, g, h and k
The Church of Scotland	b, e, g, h and i
The Health Boards	a, c, d, e, g, h and i
The Scottish Police Federation	a, b, c, d, e and l
VisitScotland	b and l
SWRO	b, h, j, k and l

Download this list as a PDF

All applicants for core participant status have been notified of the Chair's decision.

There may also be opportunities for individuals and organisations that have not already done so to apply for core participant status at various stages of the Inquiry.

Further information will be made available on the Inquiry website regarding any such additional opportunities, as appropriate. Visit our news section for the latest updates.

How to apply for funding as a core participant or witness

The Inquiry's Funding Protocol and application process can be found on our Protocols and Notices page.