Covid inquiry finds nearly £10bn wasted on PPE and criticises 'VIP lane' for contracts
Covid inquiry finds nearly £10bn wasted on PPE and criticises 'VIP lane' for contracts
The UK Covid-19 inquiry's fifth report concluded that planning failures led to inadequate protective equipment for healthcare workers and massive waste of public money.
- Baroness Hallett said the UK entered the pandemic with an inadequate stockpile of PPE and plans that had never been stress-tested.
- The report found that of approximately £14.9bn spent on PPE, nearly two-thirds – almost £10bn – was wasted.
- Hallett described the "high priority lane" as a misguided attempt that embedded unfairness and must not be repeated.
- The inquiry recommended a radical overhaul of emergency procurement systems and greater investment in domestic manufacturing.
Latest developments
- The UK Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group welcomed the inquiry report, calling it a
- catastrophic failure
- that cost lives and wasted billions of pounds.
Coverage
Read the original reportingThis brief was compiled from 2 outlets, over 7 hours of coverage. Each is listed below with the headline it led on, so you can compare them yourself.
The Guardian view on Covid and Hillsborough: families forced the state to face the truth | Editorial
‘Catastrophic failure’: UK Covid families welcome inquiry findings on PPE
Covid inquiry PPE report - a look at the key findings
PPE failures left NHS staff poorly protected and wasted billions, Covid inquiry finds
Johnson government wasted ‘vast’ sums on PPE, Covid inquiry finds
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