Recommendation 21

The Department set out in its initial PPE strategy its desire to build on this UK manufacturing base, reiterating the role it should play in building a more resilient supply chain and also the wider benefits including job creation and making the UK a centre for innovative products.66 It is now apparent, however, that the Department holds a large excess of stock which it is concentrating on reducing down.67 In that context, the role of the UK suppliers forward seems uncertain as they are unlikely to receive orders for many years. The Department told us that those suppliers “have other products to make” and that the Department are “not in the market to buy at the moment”. Only seven UK suppliers are on SCCL’s future frameworks enabling them to bid for future PPE contracts.68 The Department said that it is worth with NHS Supply Chain to try and ensure that UK manufactured products are marketable to the health and social care sectors. Whilst it recognised that procurement rules will require it to still operate in the international market place it said that its plans to emphasis social value and environmental considerations going forward should place UK manufacturers in a good position to compete with international suppliers.69 61 Q106 62 Correspondence from Sir Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary, Department of Health and Social Care, re Management of PPE Contracts, page 2, dated 19 May 2022 63 C&AG’s Report, The supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic, session 2019–2021, HC 961, 25 November 2020, para 2.14 64 C&AG’s Report, Investigation into the management of PPE contracts, session 2021–22, HC 1144, 30 March 2022, para 1.3 and Figure 4 65 Q56 66 Department of Health & Social Care, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Strategy, 28 September 2020, para 1.4 67 Q33 68 Q56 69 Correspondence from Sir Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary, Department of Health and Social Care, re Management of PPE Contracts, page 4, dated 19 May 2022 16 Manageme