The Covid inquiry has released its report examining failures in personal protective equipment procurement during the pandemic. The investigation found that the UK and devolved governments spent £14.9bn on PPE, with nearly two-thirds of that amount, approximately £10 billion, representing wasteful spending. Additional tens of millions of pounds were spent on equipment that could not be utilized.
The inquiry’s chair, Baroness Heather Hallett, characterized the waste as “vast” and noted that while purchasing excessive PPE was preferable to shortages during a health emergency, better alignment between supply and demand would have been optimal. The report concluded that improved planning, information systems, and preparation would have enabled more efficient, equitable, and faster procurement decisions. Britain entered the pandemic with its stockpile of protective equipment in what the inquiry described as a “perilous state,” including substantial quantities of expired items. In England, only one-third of the masks in the pre-pandemic stockpile remained usable, and Scotland had no supplies of FFP3 masks required by healthcare workers. The shortage was so severe that some staff members improvised protection using bin bags or rewashed and reused items.
The report examined the VIP lane system, introduced in April 2020 in England, which expedited PPE supply offers that came with recommendations from ministers, MPs, or senior government officials. Hallett described this approach as a “misguided attempt at prioritisation” that introduced systematic unfairness into emergency procurement. While the inquiry found no evidence of cronyism or corruption in contract awards, the system was “inherently biased towards those with connections” to the government and should not be repeated in future crises.
The inquiry did not include findings regarding PPE Medpro due to an ongoing National Crime Agency criminal investigation into the company. The firm received over £200 million in government contracts and was linked to Conservative peer Baroness Michelle Mone through her husband. A High Court ruling previously ordered the company to repay £148 million after finding it breached a contract for surgical gown supplies. No criminal charges have been filed, and both Barrowman and Mone have denied wrongdoing.
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