Government spent millions on PPE goggles during Covid but NHS never received them.

During the Covid pandemic, the government desperately searched for personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect the frontline workers of the National Health Service (NHS). In their efforts, they signed off on a deal for £12.6 million of PPE from a China-based firm. However, this deal turned out to be a complete disaster, with every single item being deemed unfit for use and marked "Do Not Supply."

The PPE in question was supplied by Liaoning Zhongqiao Overseas Exchange Co Ltd, which was referred through a high-priority "VIP lane" overseen by Michael Gove, who was then the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The details of this deal have recently come to light after the Information Commissioner's Office ordered NHS Supply Chain to release certain information about it.

Initially, Supply Chain had refused to provide specifics about the deal, citing "commercial interests." However, after the ICO's ruling, it was revealed that all of the purchased items were marked as "Do Not Supply" and are currently being stored in Daventry, Northamptonshire. This revelation has only added to the ongoing controversy surrounding the government's handling of PPE during the pandemic.

The deal with Liaoning Zhongqiao is just one example of the colossal wastage of PPE that has been uncovered in the past three years. In March 2022, the National Audit Office found that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) had stored 3.6 billion items of PPE that were deemed unsuitable for frontline use, costing a total of £2.9 billion.

The issue of wastage was due to various reasons, such as PPE being classified as "not fit for any use" or frontline services preferring alternative items. In some cases, these alternative items were not suitable for the NHS, such as face visors that required self-assembly or flat-packed aprons. This mismanagement of public funds has raised concerns and criticisms from various organizations, including the Good Law Project.

The Good Law Project's executive director, Jo Maugham, expressed his disappointment with the government's actions, stating that they not only paid millions for unusable PPE but also attempted to conceal this information from the public. He emphasized that the government is accountable to the public for the use of public funds.

The contract with Liaoning Zhongqiao was signed off in April 2020, with the DHSC agreeing to pay half of the £12.6 million before the final shipment was cleared from a secured warehouse. It is worth noting that the supplier's address was listed as a PO Box in the village of Chirn Park on Australia's Gold Coast, with the firm said to be owned by an Australian company, despite being based in China.

This deal is part of a much larger pattern of wastage from contracts signed off during the pandemic, which are still being uncovered almost three years after the end of Covid restrictions. In one case, almost two million gowns and 300,000 goggles were offered to NATO countries after failing to reach the NHS supply chain. Another deal, worth £1.4 billion, involved the destruction or write-off of PPE.

In total, the DHSC has revealed that almost £10 billion was wasted on defective or unusable PPE during the crisis. This revelation has sparked outrage and calls for accountability from the government. The Good Law Project has also uncovered a "VIP lane" for PPE suppliers, which they describe as one of the most egregious examples of political sleaze and mismanagement of public money.

In response to these criticisms, a DHSC spokesperson stated that the government has plans to appoint a Covid Corruption Commissioner and is committed to doing everything in its power to get taxpayers' money back. They also announced a block on any further PPE contracts being abandoned or waived until they are independently assessed by the commissioner.

The ongoing PPE saga has brought to light the mismanagement and wastage of public funds during the pandemic. It is a reminder that the government is accountable to the public for their actions and that transparency is crucial in times of crisis. As more details continue to emerge, the public will undoubtedly demand answers and accountability from those responsible.

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