In his third and at times combative appearance at the Covid-19 inquiry, in which he repeatedly interrupted the inquiry counsel, Jacqueline Carey, the former health secretary defended his decision to allow the NHS to postpone routine treatment and care from April 2020.
Asked if he thought it was the right decision, Hancock said: "Well, obviously reluctantly, but you're faced with a series of awful options - that was the least bad." He said the "overall point is that we did not have a collapse in the system".
But Heather Hallett, who is chairing the inquiry, questioned Hancock's assertion that the NHS was available to all in the pandemic according to need, pointing out that patients requiring cancer screening, a hip replacement or other surgery could not access the care that they needed.
Hancock insisted that the NHS had not been "overwhelmed" and that it had been "better to delay some non-urgent operations" in order to protect the health service and the patients themselves because people were "more likely to catch Covid in a hospital than in almost any other setting".
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Amorim asks for survival mode after Wolves loss
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Arteta backs Martinelli to step up after Saka injury
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Wilson and Muniz pounce late to cast doubt on Chelsea's title credentials
Perhaps there will be some debate around Fulham's equaliser after 82 minutes of this 2-1 derby win for Marco Silva's team at Stamford Bridge.
Jones and Salah clear path at the top for Liverpool
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Tonali helps Newcastle ease past 10-man Villa
Sandro Tonali has brought Newcastle an abundance of gifts but perhaps foremost among them is the rare ability to slow games down that offers Eddie Howe's high-intensity team the sort of invaluable control they have so often lacked in recent months.
Elanga takes Forest third and deepens Postecoglou's pain
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Haaland's wasted spot-kick adds to Guardiola's gloom
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Fabianski carried off but Bowen edges out Juric's new Saints
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'Rubbish game' but Guéhi content with valuable point
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