UK wasted £10bn on PPE that left NHS staff poorly protected, Covid inquiry finds

The United Kingdom wasted approximately £10 billion on personal protective equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic, much of which was unusable, undelivered or overpriced, and which left NHS staff poorly protected at critical moments, according to the final report of the Covid-19 public inquiry.

The report, which runs to more than 1,200 pages, is the most comprehensive accounting yet of the government's PPE procurement programme, and its conclusions are devastating. It finds that the "VIP lane" — the fast-track process for contracts recommended by ministers, MPs and officials — resulted in deals worth £3.7 billion being awarded to companies with no relevant experience, many of which delivered equipment that did not meet the required standards.

The inquiry identifies several specific failures. Gowns that were supposed to be fluid-resistant were not, leaving staff vulnerable to infection during procedures that generated aerosols. Masks that were purchased in vast quantities were the wrong specification for clinical use. Millions of items were delivered so late that they were no longer needed, and a significant proportion of the equipment that was delivered could not be used and was written off or incinerated.

The report is particularly critical of the lack of transparency and accountability in the procurement process. It notes that ministers were allowed to refer potential suppliers without any formal record of their involvement, that contracts were awarded without competitive tender, and that the National Audit Office was denied access to information that would have allowed it to scrutinise the spending.

The inquiry has referred several individuals and companies to the National Crime Agency and the Serious Fraud Office for investigation. It has also recommended fundamental reforms to emergency procurement rules, including a ban on political referrals, mandatory transparency requirements and the creation of a strategic reserve of essential supplies.