The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has concluded that the Conservative government's 'VIP Lane' for personal protective equipment (PPE) procurement 'embedded unfairness' and led to a 'vast' waste of public funds, while frontline health and social care workers were left unprotected. Inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett found that nearly £10 billion of the £15 billion spent on PPE was wasted on unusable equipment, with 3.9 billion items deemed 'not fit for onward distribution'. Nurses reported having to fashion makeshift gowns from plastic bags and bring goggles from home to treat Covid-19 patients.
VIP Lane and Cronyism Allegations
The inquiry's report, published on 14 July 2026, criticised the creation of a 'High Priority Lane' – dubbed the VIP Lane – for PPE suppliers with connections to government. Baroness Hallett stated: 'The source of an offer is undoubtedly relevant to the credibility of an offer... However, all offers should be considered on the same objective criteria and connections to government should not lead to favourable treatment.' She noted that the lane was initially known only to a small group of senior ministers, including then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock, Michael Gove, Lord Agnew, and James Bethell. While she found no evidence of corruption, the report said there was evidence of 'favourable treatment' to some suppliers, which 'significantly undermined the reputation of the government procurement system'.
Waste and Impact on Frontline Staff
Baroness Hallett said: 'The waste of taxpayers' money was vast. The public must be able to trust that their money is being spent with propriety, fairness and transparency.' The report highlighted that the UK entered the pandemic with its PPE stockpile in a 'perilous condition', with shortages and large quantities of expired stock. A nurse's account included in the report stated: 'We have bare arms and faces... I've had to wear my own protective goggles from home, a shower cap and colleagues have made makeshift protection wear out of bin bags.'
Failures in Testing and Ventilators
The inquiry also examined failures in testing and ventilator procurement. A lack of tests led ministers to discharge elderly patients from hospitals into care homes untested, which spread the virus and killed thousands. For ventilators, the UK had no domestic manufacturers at the start of the pandemic, and faced a 'ventilator procurement Wild West' with prices doubling daily. The report noted that China restricted ventilator exports, forcing Britain to buy at inflated global prices.
Redacted Chapter and Ongoing Criminal Proceedings
A chapter on PPE Medpro, the company led by the husband of former Tory peer Baroness Michelle Mone, was redacted due to ongoing criminal proceedings. The consortium was ordered to repay over £121 million for breaching a contract to supply 25 million surgical gowns. The couple have denied wrongdoing. The report said the chapter would be published after the conclusion of criminal proceedings.
Inquiry Recommendations
The 237-page report, the fifth of ten modules in the £200 million inquiry, made several recommendations to prevent future failures. These include: radically overhauling supply chain resilience and emergency procurement systems; creating an emergency international trade and domestic industrial strategy; digitalising procurement and distribution systems within three years; improving the composition and management of pandemic stockpiles; establishing a training programme for procurement officials; and improving transparency, governance, and accountability in emergency procurement.
