The Covid inquiry has released its findings on government procurement of personal protective equipment during the pandemic, detailing systemic failures in planning and purchasing that resulted in substantial financial waste.
According to the inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett, the UK and devolved governments spent £14.9bn on PPE, with nearly two-thirds of that amount—approximately £10 billion—wasted through inefficient procurement practices. Additional tens of millions of pounds were spent on equipment that could not be used. The inquiry concluded that while it was preferable to purchase excess PPE rather than insufficient quantities during a health crisis, better calibration between supply and demand would have produced fairer, faster, and less costly outcomes.
The investigation revealed that the country entered the pandemic with its stockpile of masks, gowns, and gloves in poor condition. Large quantities of equipment were expired and past their useful life. In England, only one-third of masks in the pre-pandemic stockpile were usable, while Scotland had no supplies of FFP3 masks required by healthcare workers. The shortage forced some staff to use improvised protection such as bin bags or to wash and reuse PPE items. Hallett stated that inadequate equipment procurement put healthcare workers and those in their care at serious risk.
The report criticized the VIP lane system introduced in April 2020 in England, which expedited PPE supply offers that came with recommendations from ministers, MPs, peers, or senior officials. Hallett characterized this as a “misguided attempt at prioritisation” that “embedded unfairness in emergency procurement.” While she found no evidence of cronyism or corruption among officials awarding contracts, the system was “inherently biased towards those with connections to the UK government” and should not be repeated in future pandemics.
The inquiry’s findings on PPE Medpro, a company awarded contracts worth more than £200m, were not included in the report due to an ongoing criminal investigation. The company has already been ordered to repay £148m after being found in breach of contract. The inquiry held hearings on the matter in February 2025, but reporting restrictions remain in place pending criminal proceedings.
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