Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the coronavirus crisis had been a disaster for the United Kingdom and while the government would look at what went wrong it was not the right time to have an inquiry into missteps.

‘This has been a disaster,’ Johnson told Times Radio. ‘Let's not mince our words, I mean this has been an absolute nightmare for the country and the country has gone through a profound shock.’

Johnson, who spent time in intensive care battling COVID-19, said the government owed it to all those who have died and suffered to look at exactly ‘what went wrong and when’.

‘I totally understand that and we will. I happen to think that the moment is not right now, ... when everybody is flat out, I don't think the moment is right now for consecrating a huge amount of official time to all of that.

‘But we are learning lessons the whole time.’

Asked about his senior adviser Dominic Cummings, he said: ‘Dom is outstanding.’