Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Accepted
The Department has handed back responsibility for the PPE programme to Supply Chain Coordination Limited...
Recommendation
The Department has handed back responsibility for the PPE programme to Supply Chain Coordination Limited (SCCL) with many issues still to be resolved. Since October 2021, oversight of SCCL transferred from the Department to NHS England and in April 2022 the Department transferred the responsibility for managing the supply of PPE to SCCL. This means that responsibility for the logistical management and distribution of PPE across the 70 sites that the Department built up now resides with SCCL. In other areas, however, such as the resolution of the 176 contracts in commercial dispute, responsibility is to remain within the Department. The Department was due to produce a PPE strategy where we expect roles and responsibilities to be clearly set out, but this has been delayed and is now not expected to be completed until summer 2022. Recommendation: The Department should release its PPE strategy in full as soon as possible, setting out how it will work with SCCL and what the respective roles and responsibilities of each organisation will be in the ongoing management of contracts and future procurement activities. If the strategy is not available by the end of September, the Department should write to the Committee to explain the reason for the delay. Management of PPE contracts 7
Government Response Summary
The government agreed to release its PPE strategy and update the Committee on plans for publication, aiming for Autumn 2022 implementation, while the NHS Supply Chain took over PPE supply and distribution in April 2022.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation Target implementation date: Autumn 2022 5.2 The responsibility for the supply and distribution of Covid-19 PPE moved to the NHS Supply Chain in April 2022. The NHS Supply Chain will work to integrate the provision of PPE to acute settings through existing infrastructure to remove any duplication from the operation and will manage the PPE Portal and associated distribution network for other settings to ensure non-acute providers can continue to access free PPE. The department wrote to the Committee on 19 April setting out the split of roles and responsibilities between the two organisations. 5.3 The work on the updated Strategy is well developed. The department is committed to publishing the Strategy as soon as it is possible and will update the Committee on the plans for publication in due course.