Majority of £15billion spent on PPE during Covid pandemic was a waste, inquiry concludes, with 'vast' amounts of taxpayer money squandered

By EIRIAN JANE PROSSER, SENIOR REPORTER Published: 12:00, 14 July 2026 | Updated: 12:22, 14 July 2026 'Vast' amounts of taxpayers' money were wasted during the pandemic, with £10 billion squandered on PPE supplies, the Covid inquiry has found. ​Baroness Heather Hallett, chairman of the UK Covid-19 inquiry, said that the UK was 'simply not ready to compete' in the global race to secure healthcare equipment in early 2020. ​The chair found dwindling stockpiles of PPE combined with an over-reliance on China to provide the majority of the UK's masks, coveralls and eye protection left the country in a 'perilous state'. ​As a result, ministers and health officials were forced to improvise, and of the £14.9billion spent on PPE, nearly two thirds was wasted by overbuying and purchasing faulty equipment. The chair also examined the so-called 'VIP lane', known officially as the high priority lane, which was used for awarding Government contracts for emergency supplies. The controversial policy was introduced in April 2020 to prioritise offers to supply PPE if the companies had been recommended by ministers, MPs, peers or other senior officials. But the system was met with a backlash, with some arguing the then-Conservative Government was able to secure major deals without being fully scrutinised. While the inquiry did not identify cronyism or corruption among ministers or officials, Lady Hallett concluded the system was, although unintentional, inherently biased, favouring those with connections to the Government. Taxpayers' money was wasted during the pandemic, with £10 billion squandered on PPE supplies, the Covid inquiry has found. Pictured: NHS workers in PPE taking a patient to hospital in April 2020 The Covid Inquiry is established and funded by the government but led by an independent chair, former Court of Appeal judge Baroness Heather Hallett (pictured)  The report found that, of the 32 people who referred successful offers to the VIP lane, 15 had a connection with the Conservative Party and none came from any other party, although politicians from other parties were referred to it. As a result, this eroded public trust and damaged the reputation of those involved in the pandemic. The inquiry concluded the 'VIP lane' system, which accounted for £4.2 billion of the Government's PPE contracts, should not be used again. In a statement, Lady Hallett said: 'When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, the world entered a desperate race to secure vital healthcare equipment and supplies. 'In the global battle to procure equipment and supplies, the UK was simply not ready to compete - the bodies responsible were caught off-guard, with inadequate and untested plans to increase emergency procurement and distributions rapidly. 'The waste of the taxpayers' money was vast. The public must be able to trust their money is being spent with propriety, fairness and transparency. Public confidence - so important in an emergency - was undermined by the failures of procurement.' Lady Hallett made 11 recommendations in total, including overhauling the UK's supply chain for emergency provisions and testing plans before the next pandemic. She said healthcare equipment needs to be treated as a key national asset and that there should be both an international and domestic industrial strategy for supplying healthcare equipment. Other recommendations included digitalising procurement and distribution systems within the next three years using real-time data as well as improving the management of PPE stockpiles. Lady Hallett added: 'The country cannot repeat the mistakes of the past.' Despite the failings today's report did highlight the achievements of the British Army in providing vital logistic expertise as well as the UK's life science and advanced manufacturing sectors for their continued help. The report did not include evidence on PPE firm Medpro, which was ordered to repay £148 million to the Government after the High Court found it had breached a contract to supply millions of surgical gowns to the government. The firm, linked to Conservative Baroness Lady Michelle Mone via her husband Doug Barrowman, has been the subject of a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation since 2021 over its supply of PPE during the pandemic. And while the Covid inquiry has heard evidence relating to Medpro, it was excluded from today's report due to the ongoing investigation. Both Lady Mone, 54, and Mr Barrowman, 61, deny wrongdoing. PPE Medpro, a consortium led by Mr Barrowman, was awarded government contracts worth more than £200 million to supply personal protective equipment after Lady Mone recommended it to ministers. But the firm found itself at the centre of the controversy over so-called 'VIP lane' contracts granted to some suppliers during the pandemic. Despite being ordered to repay £148 million by the High Court, the company was wound up last year, meaning the Government is unlikely to see most of that money. The Covid-19 inquiry was launched in June 2022 by Boris Johnson and covers decision making made by the Government, as well as administrations in Scotland and Wales, throughout the pandemic.  The first public hearings took place in June 2023. The inquiry is the most expensive to take place in British history costing more than £192million in three years.