The latest report published as part of the COVID-19 inquiry has found the UK was not adequately prepared for a pandemic.
The report, which looked at the procurement and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE), found the UK's pre-pandemic PPE stockpiles were in inadequate condition and had not been properly maintained.
The report also found that in England, only around a third of the masks held in the emergency stockpile were immediately usable. The rest of the equipment could not be used because it had either degraded or did not meet COVID-19 specifications.
Wales and Scotland lacked sufficient, high-grade respiratory protection, while Northern Ireland's limited stock consisted largely of gloves.
As a result, the government was forced to buy large quantities of PPE within a very short period but was ill-equipped to do so. Normal checks and procurement procedures came under intense pressure, unfamiliar suppliers entered the market and a controversial "high priority lane" was established, giving some politically referred companies favorable access to government contracts.
