The investigation, led by Oxford University experts Prof Carl Heneghan and Dr Tom Jefferson, focuses on the UK Health Security Agency and concludes the true scale of losses, stockpile failures and overspending has never been fully revealed or understood by the public, according to the experts. The figures show a pattern of huge emergency spending followed by weak controls, missing records and massive write-offs, according to the experts. According to government accounts, nearly £15 billion worth of PPE, medicines, tests and vaccines have been written off after being bought in large quantities during the crisis but never used, later judged unnecessary, or allowed to expire in storage.
7 billion in emergency preparedness spending was written off between 2023-2024, including more than £1 billion worth of Covid vaccines that expired unused after being ordered in large quantities to avoid shortages. 3 billion of stock transferred from NHS Test and Trace to the UK Health Security Agency could not be properly tracked, with incomplete records and missing inventory. The figures show how decisions taken during the crisis continue to cost taxpayers years later, according to the experts.
MPs have described the losses as completely staggering in an official statement. It remains unclear what specific measures are being taken to recover or account for the billions still under question, or who the specific individuals or departments responsible for the weak controls and missing records are. The exact total amount of money that remains unaccounted for beyond the £15 billion written off has not been disclosed.