PPE stocks ‘very low’ early in pandemic, report finds
PPE stocks ran low early in the pandemic (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Scotland’s central stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE) ran “very low” in the early stages of the pandemic, a report has found, while the surge in prices cost the NHS £37.4 million more than normal for the safety kit.
Audit Scotland has released its long-awaited report into how the Scottish Government and NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) managed PPE arrangements.
A similar study carried out at a UK level by the National Audit Office found the UK spent £10 billion extra in inflated prices for PPE due to an “inadequate” stockpile and the surge in global demand early in the pandemic.