PPE failures left NHS staff poorly protected and wasted billions, Covid inquiry finds

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. PPE failures left NHS staff poorly protected and wasted billions, Covid inquiry findsImage source, Getty ImagesByJim ReedHealth reporterPublished14 minutes agoPlanning failures and other flaws meant doctors and nurses were forced to work without adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) in the pandemic, the Covid inquiry has said. The fifth report from the inquiry found that healthcare staff were unable to properly protect themselves, or those in their care, from dangerous infections. The UK entered the pandemic with its stockpile of masks, gowns and gloves in a "perilous state" with the country "simply not ready to compete" in the global race to secure new supplies.

9bn spent by the government on PPE, nearly two thirds – almost £10bn – was wasted, the report concluded. The inquiry's chair, Baroness Hallett, described the waste of taxpayers' money as "vast" and said an overreliance on China to manufacture equipment left the UK "dangerously overexposed". When the cost of home testing kits and other equipment, such as ventilators, was included, the total amount spent by the government between January 2020 and June 2022 exceeded £42bn, the inquiry found.

The Details

The UK's emergency stockpile of PPE, meant to last at least 15 weeks before being replenished, was running out by the end of March 2020 as demand from hospitals soared. What is the UK Covid inquiry and how does it work? Published16 AprilCovid inquiry turns to PPE deals and the 'VIP lane' Published3 March 2025Covid inquiry rejects last-minute bid from Michelle Mone Published3 March 2025At the time, care homes, GP surgeries and pharmacies were all expected to source their own PPE, something the report described as a "major failure in planning".

Government contingency plans had "never been stress tested" and officials and ministers were "forced to improvise, establishing new emergency procurement and distribution systems within days". "Better planning would have resulted in fairer, faster and less costly procurement decisions," the report concluded. Public trust was "significantly damaged" by failures to provide PPE and other equipment and the hard work of many officials was undermined, added Baroness Hallett.

VIP lane failuresIn England, a so-called "VIP lane" – officially known as the high priority lane – was set up in the pandemic to award government PPE contracts. Introduced in April 2020, the idea was to treat offers to supply PPE with greater urgency if they came with a recommendation from ministers, MPs, members of the House of Lords, or other senior officials. At the time, the government said there was a "desperate need" to protect health and social care staff, and argued swift action was required to secure healthcare equipment.

The inquiry criticised that policy as a "misguided attempt at prioritisation" that "embedded unfairness in emergency procurement".

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.