Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Accepted
Develop and implement a clear, cost-effective plan for national emergency pandemic stockpile
Conclusion
The Department does not yet have a clear plan in place for a national emergency stockpile for any future pandemic. The stockpile held by the Department was invaluable for the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic but it does not currently have a plan for the level or composition of the desired stockpile for any future pandemics. The Department was limited in its response to COVID-19 by the lack of domestic production of PPE and it has advised that it is working on strengthening domestic PPE supply chains. As well as the significant volumes of PPE it purchased, and is now disposing of, the Department has entered into contracts for both COVID-19 vaccines and COVID-19 medicines which commit it to procure future stock. It recognised impairments in 2021–22 of £1.7 billion for COVID-19 vaccines and £1.8 billion for COVID-19 medicines with a limited shelf life which it now does not expect to use. 6 Department of Health and Social Care 2021–22 Annual Report and Accounts Recommendation 2: The Department should develop and implement a clear, cost-effective plan for a national emergency stockpile to respond to any future pandemic.
Government Response Summary
The government states it has a clinical countermeasure program, is setting up a UK-Moderna partnership for vaccine manufacturing, and has signed a service level agreement with SCCL for stock rotation. It is also working with SCCL on PPE volumes and preparing advice.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented The department has in place a clinical countermeasure programme of some appropriate medicines and consumables to respond to a range of scenarios, for example vaccines (including an Advance Purchase Agreement to guarantee access to a pandemic specific influenza vaccine), and therapeutics, such as antivirals. In addition, the new UK- Moderna strategic partnership is setting up research and development and manufacturing facilities in the UK with the capacity to produce up to 250 million vaccines per year in the event of a pandemic. The department is working closely with SCCL on the necessary volumes of PPE that are needed to provide resilience to future pandemics and is preparing advice on both short- term procurements and longer-term resilience. The department will continue to refine its approach over time based on the latest information available. To provide additional resilience and value for money, in April 2023 the department signed a service level agreement with SCCL, to support rotation of stockpiled product into business as usual wherever possible. The department is committed to learning lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and has sought, and continue to consider, expert advice on products (including PPE, medicines and vaccines) that should be held, or otherwise contracted for, to support the UK’s preparedness for future pandemic and emerging infectious disease threats. An enhanced approach to clinical countermeasures is one aspect of the department’s wider, flexible pandemic response plans, which are kept under review and regularly updated to reflect the latest scientific information, lessons learned from exercises and our response to emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic.