Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 18
18
We asked the Department how the transfer back to SCCL had gone and it was...
Conclusion
We asked the Department how the transfer back to SCCL had gone and it was very positive about the process. It said that nothing had really been interrupted from a logistics perspective and that the reality is that the Department and SCCL had been working “hand in glove before the transition”.55 It told us that the two had undergone six months of “intensive planning” to prepare for SCCL taking back operational responsibilities. Forty-four departmental staff members that worked on the PPE programme have been transferred over to SCCL to help try and ensure a smooth transition.56 All of the 70 sites that the Department has established over the last couple of years to store PPE are now the responsibility of SCCL to manage.57
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
5: PAC conclusion: The Department has handed back responsibility for the PPE programme to Supply Chain Coordination Limited (SCCL) with many issues still to be resolved. 5: PAC 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. 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.