Billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money were wasted on personal protective equipment (PPE) during the Covid-19 pandemic while frontline NHS and care staff were left without adequate protection, the UK Covid Inquiry has concluded. In a report published on Wednesday, Baroness Heather Hallett, Chair of the UK Covid Inquiry, said the UK entered the pandemic with emergency PPE stockpiles in a “perilous state“, leaving the country ill-equipped to respond when Covid-19 spread across the globe. The inquiry estimates that almost £10 billion of the £14.9 billion spent on PPE during the pandemic was ultimately wasted.
Frontline workers left without protection
The report found that significant quantities of PPE held in the UK’s emergency reserves had either expired or were no longer suitable for use before the pandemic began. In England, only around one-third of stored face masks were deemed usable, while Scotland had no stockpile of FFP3 respirator masks, which were essential for many frontline healthcare workers treating Covid-19 patients. The inquiry heard evidence that some NHS staff were forced to wear bin bags as makeshift protective clothing, while others had to wash and reuse PPE because of severe shortages. Baroness Hallett said these failures left key workers unable to protect themselves properly, placing both staff and patients at unnecessary risk.
High Priority Lane criticised
The report also examined the Government’s controversial High Priority Lane, introduced in April 2020 to fast-track PPE offers from companies referred by ministers, MPs, peers and senior officials. Baroness Hallett described the system as a “misguided attempt at prioritisation“, concluding it was inherently unfair because it favoured suppliers with political connections. However, the inquiry said it found no evidence of cronyism or corruption by ministers or officials in the awarding of PPE contracts. Despite that finding, the report concludes that the High Priority Lane should never be used again.
PPE Medpro chapter withheld
A section of the report examining PPE Medpro has not been published because of an ongoing investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The company was awarded government PPE contracts worth more than £200 million after being recommended to ministers by Conservative peer Baroness Michelle Mone. PPE Medpro has already been ordered to repay £148 million after the High Court ruled it had breached a contract to supply millions of surgical gowns. No criminal charges have been brought, and both Baroness Mone and her husband, businessman Doug Barrowman, who is linked to the company, have denied any wrongdoing. Reporting restrictions remain in force while the NCA investigation continues, meaning the inquiry’s findings relating to PPE Medpro have not yet been published.
Inquiry continues
The latest publication is the fifth report issued by the UK Covid Inquiry since July 2024. Further reports examining the UK’s handling of the pandemic are expected to be published through to 2027.
