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The UK’s new Covid corruption commissioner, Tom Hayhoe, has launched an investigation into fraud relating to personal protective equipment (PPE). In his first task, Hayhoe will review the £8.7 billion worth of PPE that was purchased during the pandemic but had to be written off the government’s books. He is also expected to look into the previous government’s decision to abandon attempts to recover funds from contracts worth £674 million.
Requested by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Hayhoe’s remit includes attempts to recover public money lost to underperforming contracts and fraud. The Treasury has stressed the importance of returning the money to public services such as the NHS, schools, and police.
Hayhoe, formerly the chair of an NHS trust, will lead the investigation with a free hand as commissioner and will leave “no stone unturned” in his attempts to investigate the alleged waste and fraud relating to Covid procurement. His contract is set for one year, during which he will report to Reeves directly.
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) lost 75% of the £12 billion it spent on PPE in the first year of the pandemic, largely due to inflated prices and the procurement of kit that did not meet established requirements. The National Crime Agency is separately investigating criminal offences related to the PPE procurement system.
Hayhoe’s appointment was part of the Labour party’s manifesto commitment to establish a fixed-term commissioner and to use all possible means to recover public money lost to pandemic-related fraud and unfulfilled contracts. At the end of his contract, Hayhoe will submit a report with recommendations and lessons for future government procurement during crises
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