A vast amount of Full Support Healthcare personal protective equipment (PPE) was discovered in the New Forest last year, valued at approximately £1.4 billion,
marking it as one of the most wasteful government deals of the pandemic.
Scope of the Waste
Data obtained by the BBC reveals that at least 1.57 billion items of PPE provided by Full Support Healthcare, an NHS supplier based in Northamptonshire, will never be used despite being manufactured to the required standard. The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), responsible for purchasing and delivering Covid PPE, has refrained from commenting due to the pre-election period.
Political Reactions
The Labour Party labeled the contract as a "staggering waste," while the Liberal Democrats condemned it as a "colossal misuse of public funds."
The Contract and Its Fallout
Full Support Healthcare secured a £1.78 billion deal in April 2020 to supply face masks, respirators, eye protection, and aprons, making it the largest Covid PPE order from a single supplier and accounting for 13% of the government's total expenditure on PPE. Before the pandemic, the company had 25 employees and annual profits of £800,000. Post-contract profits remain undisclosed since the business was moved offshore to Jersey in 2021 for privacy reasons. Both the company and its directors, Sarah and Richard Stoute, have complied with UK tax obligations and have not engaged in any wrongdoing.
Disposal of PPE
NHS Supply Chain, responsible for delivering healthcare products, provided data showing that of the 2.02 billion items of PPE from Full Support Healthcare, only 232 million items have been dispatched to the NHS or other care settings. Around 749 million items have already been destroyed, and another 825 million are classified as excess stock. This means approximately £1.4 billion worth of PPE will not be used.
The government's initial estimate of unused PPE was £85 million, roughly 6% of the actual total. Additionally, at least £100 million has been spent on storing and incinerating the excess stock since its purchase.
Expert and Government Commentary
Peter Smith, a former government procurement adviser, noted that initial forecasts for PPE needs were significantly overestimated, leading to rushed procurement and inflated costs. This environment allowed opportunists and middlemen to make substantial profits.
The DHSC has previously stated it acted swiftly to procure PPE amid a global shortage. However, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting criticized the handling, stating the wasted funds could have paid for the salaries of 37,000 nurses.
The Stoutes' Response
Full Support Healthcare, founded by former nurse Sarah Stoute, responded to the situation through their lawyers, emphasizing their swift delivery of PPE during the pandemic. They maintained that offshoring the business was solely for privacy reasons, not to avoid tax obligations. The Stoutes' legal challenges against press intrusion have highlighted their desire for privacy.
Environmental Concerns
Last summer, the Environment Agency took action to clear a stockpile of waste plastic medical aprons supplied by Full Support Healthcare, which were considered a fire risk. This stockpile, sold to a third-party private company by the government, was not the responsibility of Full Support Healthcare.
Four years after the first national lockdown, the DHSC continues to manage the storage and disposal of billions of excess PPE items, incurring millions of pounds in weekly costs.