Politics
Covid inquiry finds nearly £10bn wasted on PPE and criticises 'VIP lane' for contracts
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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
5 outlets — read the original reporting
The Guardian view on Covid and Hillsborough: families forced the state to face the truth | Editorial
theguardian.com
‘Catastrophic failure’: UK Covid families welcome inquiry findings on PPE
theguardian.com
Covid inquiry PPE report - a look at the key findings
bbc.co.uk
PPE failures left NHS staff poorly protected and wasted billions, Covid inquiry finds
bbc.co.uk
Johnson government wasted ‘vast’ sums on PPE, Covid inquiry finds
theguardian.com
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