The UK government wasted nearly £10 billion on personal protective equipment (PPE) that left NHS staff and patients dangerously exposed during the pandemic, according to a damning new report from the Covid inquiry. Chair Baroness Hallett condemned the “vast” waste in procurement, which amounted to £9.9 billion—two-thirds of the £14.9 billion spent on PPE. The inquiry found that the UK entered the pandemic with a perilously depleted stockpile of masks, gowns, and gloves, and was completely unprepared for the global scramble to secure supplies.
Baroness Hallett also criticised the controversial “VIP lane”—a system that prioritised PPE offers from individuals with political connections—as a misguided policy that should never be repeated. However, she stressed there was “no evidence of cronyism or corruption” by ministers or officials when final contracts were awarded. The report comes as a stark reminder of the failures that left frontline workers without adequate protection during the height of the health crisis.
The Scale of the Waste
When the cost of home testing kits, ventilators, and other equipment was included, the government’s total spending between January 2020 and June 2022 exceeded £42 billion. The inquiry highlighted that the UK’s emergency stockpile of PPE, which was meant to last at least 15 weeks before being replenished, was already running out by the end of March 2020 as hospital demand soared.
In England, only a third of the masks in the pandemic stockpile were usable, while Scotland had no supplies of high-grade respiratory masks used in hospitals. At the time, care homes, GP surgeries, and pharmacies were all expected to source their own PPE—a situation the report described as a “major failure in planning.”
Billions Written Off
The government was forced to write off £9.9 billion worth of PPE that was either unused or out of date, along with £157 million for unused healthcare equipment. The “ventilator challenge” programme, which asked suppliers to develop breathing equipment at short notice, led to an additional £143 million charge for designs that never made it into production.
Regionally, Scotland wrote off approximately £8 million of healthcare equipment, including PPE and testing kits. Wales spent £18 million on unused PPE, and Northern Ireland had £43 million worth of masks, gowns, and gloves at risk of expiry before they could be used.
Procurement Chaos and Missed Opportunities
The inquiry acknowledged that it was better to have purchased too much PPE than too little during a pandemic, but it noted that “it would clearly have been better if supply had been calibrated more closely with demand.” The report concluded: “Better planning would have resulted in fairer, faster and less costly procurement decisions.”
Government contingency plans had “never been stress tested,” leaving officials and ministers “forced to improvise, establishing new emergency procurement and distribution systems within days.” This lack of preparation was a central theme in the inquiry’s findings, which painted a picture of a system overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis.
The VIP Lane: A Misguided Experiment
In England, the so-called “VIP lane”—officially known as the high priority lane—was set up in April 2020 to award government PPE contracts. 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 argued that swift action was required to secure healthcare equipment and protect health and social care staff.
However, the inquiry criticised the policy as a “misguided attempt at prioritisation” that “embedded unfairness in emergency procurement.” Some suppliers received favourable treatment because of their connections to the then Conservative government, which “undermined trust at a moment when it needed it most.” The report was unequivocal: “The high priority lane should not have been established and must not be repeated.”
No Evidence of Corruption
Despite the criticism, Baroness Hallett said she had not identified cronyism or corruption on the part of ministers and officials when PPE contracts were finally awarded. Responding on social media, former cabinet office minister Michael Gove described allegations of corruption as “unfounded nonsense” but said he took full responsibility for “honest mistakes” that were made.
PPE Medpro Contracts Under Scrutiny
The inquiry also examined contracts awarded to PPE Medpro, a firm linked to businessman Doug Barrowman and his wife, Baroness Michelle Mone. Both have denied any wrongdoing in relation to contracts worth more than £200 million. Baroness Hallett ordered that testimony from senior government officials be heard behind closed doors to avoid prejudicing an ongoing criminal investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
A section of the inquiry’s findings related to PPE Medpro was removed from the final report and will only be published “following the conclusion of any criminal proceedings.” No criminal charges have been brought to date, with the NCA stating that its “ongoing investigation remains a priority for the agency.” In total, 48 witnesses gave oral evidence for this part of the inquiry, including former health secretary Matt Hancock and Michael Gove.
Recommendations for the Future
The inquiry made several key recommendations to prevent similar failures in the future:
- A “radical overhaul” of the emergency system for buying and distributing PPE before the next pandemic.
- Drawing up a “domestic industry strategy” that treats key healthcare equipment as a strategic national asset.
- Improving the state of the pandemic stockpile, which is held in a giant warehouse in Merseyside.
The Prime Minister’s spokeswoman said the report made for difficult reading: “The pandemic had a profound and lasting impact across our society and this government is committed to learning the lessons of the Covid inquiry so that we are protected and prepared for the future. We will of course carefully consider the inquiry’s recommendations in detail and we will respond in due course.”
