Even during the Covid pandemic, we knew that the vital PPE that kept them safe was, in some cases, in short supply or inadequate.
Now an ITV documentary has investigated how PPE contracts were given out and the sheer scale of wasted equipment, and spoke to a whistleblower who feels 'disgusted' by the money made by suppliers – ITV News Correspondent Geraint Vincent reports.
In the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK was terribly unprepared.
Doctors and nurses were reduced to using bin bags in place of what should have been proper personal protective equipment (PPE).
And so began a desperate attempt to get hold of more PPE.
To speed things up, the government set up a special procurement unit, which was run by the Department of Health.
Under pressure to respond quickly to offers, a high-priority ‘VIP lane’ was established by civil servants to deal with offers coming via government ministers, MPs or senior officials that were thought to be most credible.
The VIP lane led to the approval of contracts worth billions of pounds.
Some of the companies involved did have some relevant experience, but others had never made PPE or any kind of safety equipment.
Meanwhile, safety equipment suppliers with decades of experience say they tried and tried again to contact the government to offer their services, but were being ignored.
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