The UK Covid inquiry has concluded that a lack of adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) put NHS staff and patients at risk during the pandemic, with nearly £10bn of taxpayers' money wasted in a scramble to buy supplies. Chair Baroness Hallett described the £9.9bn waste as "vast", noting that the country's stockpile was in a "perilous state" and the UK was "simply not ready to compete" globally.
The inquiry criticized the "VIP lane" policy that prioritized offers from politically connected suppliers as "misguided" and damaging to public trust, though it found no evidence of cronyism or corruption. Recommendations include a radical overhaul of emergency PPE procurement, a domestic industry strategy for healthcare equipment, and improving the national stockpile. The government said it will carefully consider the findings.