Covid inquiry condemns 'vast' £10bn wasted on substandard PPE

A lack of effective preparation meant the UK entered the Covid-19 pandemic with its stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE) in a ‘perilous condition’, leaving health and social care workers without adequate PPE to protect themselves – and those for whom they cared – from infection.

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The UK Covid-19 Inquiry found that almost £10 billion of taxpayers’ money was wasted by the government as ministers scrambled to procure PPE, ventilators and testing equipment at the height of the pandemic.

In its latest report, inquiry chair Baroness Hallett concluded that, under the Boris Johnson-led government of the time, the “waste of taxpayers’ money was vast”. This significantly damaged public trust and undermined the hard work of many procurement officials, she highlighted.

The ‘High Priority Lane’, also known as the ‘VIP Lane’, “was a misguided attempt at prioritisation that embedded unfairness in emergency procurement”, the inquiry added.

“Some suppliers received favourable treatment because they had connections to government, undermining public trust at a moment when it was needed most. Although the Inquiry has not identified cronyism or corruption on the part of ministers and officials in final contracting decisions, the chair concludes that the ‘High Priority’ Lane should not have been established and must not be repeated,” the report said.

The damning report is the fifth of the inquiry’s 10 investigations and argues that systemic flaws, inadequate planning and other failures “caused unnecessary delays” in health and social care staff getting the protective equipment they needed.

“As the pandemic worsened, many doctors, nurses and care sector staff worked without adequate PPE or sufficient healthcare equipment such as ventilators. This left them unable to properly protect themselves, or those in their care, from dangerous infection,” the inquiry reported.

Of the approximately £14.9 billion spent on PPE, nearly two-thirds – almost £10 billion – was wasted. The total spent across the UK government and devolved administrations on PPE, ventilators and testing equipment between January 2020 and June 2022 exceeded £42 billion, the inquiry added. For future pandemic preparedness, the inquiry has recommended seven key changes:

Radically overhauling supply chain resilience and emergency procurement and distribution systems, establishing clear and tested plans before the next pandemic.
Creating an emergency international trade and domestic industrial strategy, treating key healthcare equipment as a strategic national asset.
Setting specific objectives for international trade and domestic industry during a pandemic, encouraging investment, research and development in advanced manufacturing of healthcare equipment.
Digitalising procurement and distribution systems within three years, enabling the real-time collection, sharing and analysis of data across the UK government and devolved administrations.
Improving the composition and management of the pandemic stockpile to reflect the full range of pandemic risks and the diversity of the health and social care workforce.
Establishing a training programme for procurement officials, ensuring sufficient numbers of skilled staff are ready for deployment in an emergency.
Improving transparency, governance and accountability in emergency procurement, so that the public can be confident that money is being spent with propriety and fairness.

“The changes I recommend are an investment in the resilience and preparedness of the UK,” said Baroness Hallett.

“They are a small price to pay to ensure that, next time, the public can be confident in the crucial spending decisions that will have to be made and that key healthcare equipment gets to those who need it at the right time. A better prepared emergency procurement system will reduce the cost of obtaining essential supplies and save lives,” she added.