Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 5 report: Government wasted $10bn on PPE in “catastrophic failure” of a response
17 July 2026
Garden Court North’s Pete Weatherby (pictured) delivers his opening submission during Module 5 of the Covid-19 Inquiry on 3 March, 2025. Credit: Covid-19 Inquiry / YouTube.
The UK Government wasted approximately $10 billion of public money through flawed procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 5 report has found.
The Inquiry’s report, published on Tuesday (14 July 2026) by Inquiry Chair Baroness Heather Hallett, set out a number of findings from Module 5, which investigated the procurement of PPE.
Among these findings, the report described the UK’s stockpiles of PPE as “perilous” and unprepared for the pandemic, despite mass spending. Inadequate planning by ministers and officials caused unnecessary delays in distributing PPE and other vital healthcare equipment, such as ventilators, to doctors and nurses.
Consequently, many key workers were left without the equipment, unable to properly protect themselves or patients from the disease, the report found. With no plans in place for emergency procurement or distribution, the UK was “not ready to compete” in the global market race to secure healthcare equipment.
“Embedded unfairness” in the VIP lane
The report also condemned the so-called ‘VIP lane’, which handed lucrative PPE contracts to companies with political connections to the then-Conservative Government. It describes the VIP lane as “a misguided attempt to give priority to the most credible offers,” and that it “embedded unfairness” in procurement. “Some suppliers received favourable treatment because they had connections to government,” the report found, “undermining public trust at a moment when it was needed most”.
As put by Garden Court North’s Pete Weatherby KC during Module 5: “No other country operated a VIP lane which catered for friends of government ministers, so why did the UK?”
Matt Hancock, Michael Gove and other parliamentarians continued to defend the government’s VIP lane throughout Module 5, despite the High Court ruling that it was “unlawful” and breached all laws on equal treatment to potential suppliers and prevention of profiteering.
During his fifth appearance at the Covid Inquiry, Mr Hancock said he was “not at all surprised” when the VIP lane for PPE suppliers with a political connection was set up, describing it as “standard practice”.
When asked by Garden Court North’s Anna Morris KC (seen delivering a closing submission for Module 5 above) in on what basis he was still providing assurances that there remained approximately ten weeks of PPE supply left in March 2020, Mr Hancock replied: “I was given some advice at that time … I think the question you’re getting at comes from the evidence of Mr Cummings but we’ve already seen that is not reliable evidence”.
Read our full article on Module 5, public hearings for which took place in March 2025.
For Module 5, Garden Court North Chambers’ Covid Inquiry team representing Covid Bereaved Families For Justice (CBFFJ) UK comprised Pete Weatherby KC and Anna Morris KC, who led Lily Lewis, Hamish McCallum, Mira Hammad and Christian Weaver. Our barristers were instructed by Nicola Brook from Broudie Jackson Canter.
Speaking on publication of the Module 5 report, Nicola said: “Yesterday’s report reveals the shocking level of corruption and cronyism at the heart of government, resulting in billions of pounds lost as companies sought to profit while thousands died.”
In a statement, CBFFJ UK said: “Today’s report lays bare a catastrophic failure of preparedness that cost lives, wasted billions, and allowed a privileged few to profit from a national emergency … we call on the current government not to make the same mistakes. We will continue our campaign until every recommendation is implemented and everyone who put profit before people are held to account.”
Additional media
UK Covid-19 Inquiry – Module 5 Report
UK Covid-19 Inquiry – Module 5 Report ‘In Brief’ summary
The Guardian – Johnson government wasted £10bn on PPE, Covid inquiry finds
Garden Court North Chambers – Covid-19 Inquiry: Module 5 hears how government failures led to PPE shortages during the pandemic
For further information, please contact Alex Blair, Communications Manager at Garden Court North Chambers: ablair@gcnchambers.co.uk
