UK Covid Inquiry Finds £10 Billion Wasted on PPE
A UK Covid-19 inquiry found leaders wasted nearly £10 billion on protective equipment. This happened during the pandemic.
The report came out Tuesday 14 July 2026. It is the inquiry's fifth report on buying practices.
Inquiry chair Heather Hallett criticized a 'VIP lane' for equipment deals. The VIP lane gave fast approval to companies with political connections.
This favoritism helped waste public money on equipment. The flawed buying happened under Boris Johnson's Conservative government.
It wasted public money on a 'vast' scale the inquiry found. The report leaves out findings about equipment firm Medpro.
Medpro is linked to Baroness Michelle Mone. Medpro was ordered to repay £148 million after a court ruling.
Reports say its exclusion is due to an ongoing crime agency investigation. Families of victims have criticized this omission. A lawyer for families warned the report risks being a 'whitewash' without it.
Key Terms 3
- VIP lane A fast-track system giving priority to politically connected companies for contracts.
- Whitewash An attempt to hide mistakes or wrongdoing by leaving out key facts.
- Procurement The process of buying goods or services for an organization or government.