PPE Shortages and Planning Failures
Planning deficiencies and other shortcomings compelled doctors and nurses to work without sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Covid inquiry.
The inquiry's fifth report determined that healthcare workers were unable to adequately protect themselves or their patients from hazardous infections.
At the pandemic's onset, the UK’s stockpile of masks, gowns, and gloves was described as being in a "perilous state," with the nation "simply not ready to compete" in the global effort to acquire new PPE supplies.
Of the £14.9 billion the government spent on PPE, nearly two-thirds—approximately £10 billion—was deemed wasted, the report concluded.
The inquiry chair, Baroness Hallett, characterized the waste of public funds as "vast" and noted that an overreliance on China for manufacturing equipment left the UK "dangerously overexposed."
When including expenditures on home testing kits and other equipment such as ventilators, the total government spending between January 2020 and June 2022 exceeded £42 billion, the inquiry found.
The UK’s emergency PPE stockpile, intended to last at least 15 weeks before replenishment, was depleted by the end of March 2020 as hospital demand surged.
At that time, care homes, GP surgeries, and pharmacies were expected to procure their own PPE, a situation the report described as a "major failure in planning." Government contingency plans had "never been stress tested," forcing officials and ministers to improvise by establishing new emergency procurement and distribution systems within days.
"Better planning would have resulted in fairer, faster and less costly procurement decisions," the report stated.
Baroness Hallett added that public trust was "significantly damaged" by the failures to provide PPE and other equipment, and that the diligent efforts of many officials were undermined.
VIP Lane Failures
In England, a "VIP lane," officially called the high priority lane, was created during the pandemic to expedite government PPE contracts.
Introduced in April 2020, this policy aimed to prioritize offers to supply PPE that came with recommendations from ministers, MPs, members of the House of Lords, or other senior officials.
The government justified the approach by citing a "desperate need" to protect health and social care staff and the necessity of swift action to secure healthcare equipment.
The inquiry criticized this policy as a "misguided attempt at prioritisation" that "embedded unfairness in emergency procurement."
Some suppliers received preferential treatment due to their connections to the then Conservative government, which "undermined trust at a moment when it needed it most."
"The high priority lane should not have been established and must not be repeated," the report concluded.
However, Baroness Hallett stated that she had not found evidence of cronyism or corruption by ministers or officials in the awarding of PPE contracts.
PPE Medpro Contracts
In February 2025, the inquiry devoted a day to examining PPE Medpro, a company linked to businessman Doug Barrowman and his wife, Baroness Michelle Mone.
Both Barrowman and Mone have denied any wrongdoing related to contracts exceeding £200 million.
Baroness Hallett mandated that testimony from senior government officials be heard in private to avoid prejudicing an ongoing National Crime Agency (NCA) criminal investigation.
A section of the inquiry’s findings concerning PPE Medpro was removed from the final report and will only be published after any criminal proceedings conclude.
No criminal charges have been filed to date, with the NCA stating that its "ongoing investigation remains a priority for the agency."
In total, 48 witnesses provided oral evidence during February and March 2025, including former health secretary Matt Hancock and cabinet minister Michael Gove.
Inquiry Recommendations
- A "radical overhaul" of the emergency system for PPE procurement and distribution before the next pandemic.
- Development of a "domestic industry strategy" treating key healthcare equipment as a strategic national asset.
- Improvements to the pandemic stockpile, which is stored in a large warehouse in Merseyside.
