Families who have lost loved ones to Covid-19 are speaking out about a "catastrophic failure" of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic, with some describing the situation as nothing short of a "recipe for disaster". According to the latest report from the public inquiry, inadequate PPE contributed to preventable deaths among frontline health and social care workers. Speaking at the Kia Oval cricket stadium in south London, Naomi Fulop, whose mother Christina died in January 2021, highlighted how her mother's domiciliary carers were expected to use just one thin medical mask for an entire eight-hour shift, moving between vulnerable individuals.
Lady Hallett's report paints a stark picture of the UK's readiness for the pandemic, concluding that the nation's PPE stockpile was "perilous" and left frontline workers without adequate protection. The inquiry also found that the government was severely unprepared for the rapid procurement required during a global scramble for PPE, leading to an estimated waste of £10 billion out of nearly £15 billion spent.
For Deborah Doyle, whose mother Sylvia died in a Sunderland care home in April 2020, the report's findings are deeply personal. She recalls how staff at her mother's care home faced inadequate PPE, a situation she believes contributed to the high number of resident deaths. The Covid Bereaved Families for Justice (CBFFJ) group, formed by families like Doyle's and Fulop's in May 2020, has been instrumental in pushing for answers and accountability.
While families welcome the report's conclusions on the general chaos and waste in PPE procurement, a key point of contention remains the inquiry's verdict on the "VIP lane". This system gave high priority to companies with government connections for lucrative PPE contracts. The CBFFJ has consistently argued that this system institutionalised corruption and cronyism, with £4.2 billion paid to companies processed via the VIP lane. However, Lady Hallett's report stated that while the VIP system was "inherently biased towards those with connections to the UK government", this was "unintended" and merely a "misguided attempt to give priority to the most credible suppliers".
The families group, backed by a legal team including solicitor Elkan Abrahamson and barrister Pete Weatherby KC, has long sought answers and justice for the thousands of lives lost. Their persistence ensured that the government's procurement chaos and the controversial VIP lane were included within the inquiry's scope when it was established by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson in May 2021.