What we learned from the Covid inquiry PPE report
A new Covid inquiry report criticizes the UK government's pandemic procurement, revealing that nearly £10 billion was wasted on unusable PPE. The report highlights poor planning and a lack of readiness as primary reasons for the inefficient spending.
Why it matters
The findings raise serious questions about government fiscal responsibility and emergency preparedness during public health crises.
Image source, PA By Jim Reed and Michelle Roberts BBC News Published 29 minutes ago The Covid inquiry has published its damning report into why NHS workers did not have enough personal protective equipment (PPE) when the pandemic hit.
It details what went wrong with the government's planning and buying of vital items like gloves and gowns that cost taxpayers billions of pounds.
The scramble to buy PPE during the pandemic saw the UK waste almost £10 billion of taxpayers' money, the inquiry says, with tens of millions of pounds more spent on other equipment that simply could not be used.
The chair Baroness Heather Hallett criticised the "vast" waste in pandemic procurement, amounting to two-thirds of the £14.9bn total the UK and devolved governments spent on PPE.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in