UK inquiry says £9.9bn wasted on Covid PPE via VIP lane

A public inquiry has concluded that nearly 10 billion pounds of taxpayer money was wasted on personal protective equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic, citing systemic failures in planning and a controversial "VIP lane" for procurement. The findings were published on July 14, 2026, in the fifth report by the Covid-19 Inquiry chair, Baroness Heather Hallett.

The report states that of the approximately 14.9 billion pounds spent by UK governments on PPE, almost two-thirds-roughly 9.9 billion pounds-was wasted on equipment that was unusable or never needed. Baroness Hallett described the financial waste as "vast" and concluded that the UK entered the pandemic with its stockpile of masks, gowns, and gloves in a "perilous state," leaving the nation unprepared to compete in the global scramble for supplies. Only a third of the masks in England's pre-pandemic stockpile were usable, while Scotland had no supplies of the high-grade FFP3 masks needed by healthcare professionals.

A central criticism was directed at the high-priority lane, commonly known as the VIP lane, established in April 2020 to fast-track offers from suppliers recommended by ministers, members of Parliament, and senior...