Coronavirus: Joining EU scheme to buy protective equipment would have made no difference, government claims

Joining the EU’s procurement scheme to secure protective equipment and ventilators would make no “difference”, a cabinet minister has said – as it was revealed that the UK passed on three opportunities to take part.

Therese Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, said the government had “sufficient stocks” despite warnings by medics and care workers that there is a shortage thanks to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

“The government has made an assessment that by joining the schemes, it wasn’t going to make any particular difference to the procurement of PPE,” Ms Coffey told LBC radio.

“That’s still our basis of whether or not we attended a meeting in February or whether we attended the meeting in March. That’s still the outcome.”

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said on Friday that the government was trying to open new supply lines to buy extra equipment. He has, however, declined to apologise to nurses working without PPE.

Downing Street previously claimed it only failed to join the scheme because of a miscommunication, but it was revealed at the end of March that British officials in Brussels had, in fact, taken part in four meetings during which bulk-buying was discussed, according to EU minutes reported by The Guardian newspaper.

It is now reported that the UK missed three opportunities to buy protective equipment – in contrast to No 10’s claim that the confusion was down to a missed email.

European clinicians are preparing to receive the first batch of €1.5bn (£1.3bn) in personal protective equipment within days through the joint procurement scheme involving 25 countries and eight companies that uses the buying power of the 500 million-person single market to secure priority access to limited supplies. The European Commission says the amount of kit set to arrive is in excess of what was ordered.

Asked whether she accepted there was a shortage of equipment, Ms Coffey said: “We had sufficient stocks and we continue to need stocks, that’s why we need to procure more.”

A survey by the Doctors Association UK found that only 52 per cent of clinicians carrying out high-risk procedures have the right full sleeve gowns, and the Royal College of Nursing has reassured staff in England that they can refuse to treat patients if they do not have the right protective equipment.

The claims about the EU scheme also comes as the government admits that an earlier high-profile plan to buy ventilators from Formula 1 racing teams has fallen through. Authorities have judged that the product is not suitable for treating coronavirus patients.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “For the majority of PPE included in the EU scheme, the supply of items to participating countries is still subject to the European Commission signing off individual contracts with suppliers, the placing of orders and negotiations on delivery schedules.”

The spokesperson said 22 million pieces of PPE were delivered to 268 health organisations on Monday.