The UK Covid inquiry has concluded that the lives of both NHS staff and patients were placed at significant risk during the pandemic due to a critical lack of adequate personal protective equipment (PPE). Chair Baroness Hallett reported that the nation entered the health crisis with its stockpile of masks, gowns, and gloves in a "perilous state," leaving the country unprepared to compete in the global market for essential supplies.
The inquiry found that a "vast amount" of taxpayers' money was wasted, with nearly £10bn of the £14.9bn spent by the UK and devolved governments on PPE being lost. When broader costs—including ventilators and home testing kits—were factored in, the total government expenditure between January 2020 and June 2022 surpassed £42bn.
By late March 2020, as hospital demand surged, the emergency stockpile, which was intended to provide at least 15 weeks of cover before needing replenishment, was already depleted. The inquiry highlighted specific failures in supply quality and distribution, revealing that only one-third of the masks in England's pandemic stockpile were usable, while Scotland had no supplies of high-grade respiratory masks used in hospitals.
Furthermore, the report described the expectation at the time that GP surgeries, pharmacies, and care homes should source their own equipment as a "major failure in planning." Because government contingency plans had never been stress-tested, officials and ministers were forced to improvise, establishing new emergency procurement and distribution systems within days.
Baroness Hallett stated that better planning would have resulted in procurement decisions that were faster, fairer, and more cost-effective. She added that public trust was "significantly damaged" by these failures, which also undermined the hard work of many officials. While the inquiry criticized the "high priority lane"—officially known as the VIP lane—as a "misguided attempt at prioritisation" that "embedded unfairness in emergency procurement," the chair clarified that there was "no evidence of cronyism or corruption" by ministers or officials when the final contracts were awarded.
The government at the time had argued that a "desperate need" to protect health and social care staff necessitated swift action.
The report concluded that the high priority lane should not have been established and must not be repeated, noting that some suppliers received favorable treatment due to connections to the then-Conservative government. In February 2025, the inquiry heard evidence regarding PPE Medpro, a firm linked to businessman Doug Barrowman and his wife, Baroness Michelle Mone.
Both have denied any wrongdoing regarding contracts worth over £200m. 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).
While no criminal charges have been brought, the NCA states the investigation remains a priority. In total, 48 witnesses gave oral evidence during this phase, including former health secretary Matt Hancock and cabinet minister Michael Gove. The inquiry has now called for a "radical overhaul" of emergency procurement systems and the creation of a "domestic industry strategy" to treat healthcare equipment as a strategic national asset.
