​Cygnus Report legal challenge update

Lawyers acting for an NHS doctor who is taking a legal case against the Government seeking the publication of the findings of Exercise Cygnus have issued a letter asking for an explanation of how The Sun newspaper has had sight of extracts of the previously undisclosed Cygnus Report.

Law firm Leigh Day, acting on behalf of Dr Moosa Qureshi, have asked for confirmation of whether an investigation into an unauthorised leak will take place. They have also repeated their request for a full copy of the Cygnus Report.

Dr Moosa Qureshi stated:

“The Government’s position is now untenable and if it continues to refuse to publish the Cygnus Report I consider it would be profoundly disrespectful both to the healthcare professionals who are fighting Covid-19 on the frontline and to those healthcare professionals who have already lost their lives.”

Leigh Day solicitor Tessa Gregory, who is acting on behalf of her client Dr Moosa Qureshi said:

“We wrote to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care last week, requesting the publication of the findings of Exercise Cygnus, giving due notice that if we didn’t receive a reply by Monday 27 April at 4pm we would proceed to a Judicial Review.

“The Government asked for further time to respond our request and yet in today’s edition of the Sun newspaper, extracts from the findings of Exercise Cygnus have been published.

“It is time for the Government to be fully transparent. Our client, his colleagues in the healthcare professions and the British public deserve nothing less.”

A link to Dr Qureshi’s CrowdJustice page is here