SFG20 is the industry standard for building maintenance, offering comprehensive maintenance schedules, accessed via cutting-edge software, Facilities-iQ.
The Commons Public Accounts Committee has said that the Department for Health and Social Care's decision to prioritise hospitals at the beginning of the pandemic meant social care providers were left exposed by lack of PPE.
The committee highlights the appalling situation of staff having to care for people with coronavirus or suspected coronavirus without sufficient PPE to protect themselves from infection.
MPs say that the government’s failure to be transparent about its buying decisions in the pandemic has ‘left it open to accusations of poor value for money, conflicts of interest and preferential treatment of some suppliers’. This includes a lack of transparency in publishing contracts in a timely manner and maintaining proper records of key decisions.
Having spent billions on goods and services without competition, the Department of Health and Social Care is reported to have spent over £12 billion on 32 billion items of PPE between February and July 2020. So far, it has identified items worth hundreds of millions of pounds which are unusable for their intended purpose, at further risk to taxpayers’ money.
At each stage the government maintains that no setting actually ran out of PPE. But the Public Accounts Committee heard compelling evidence from organisations representing front-line workers that stocks ran perilously low; single use items were reused; some was not fit for purpose - including reports of expired, substandard, deficient or even insect-infested supplies - and staff were in fear that they would run out.
Meg Hillier MP, chair of the Public committee, said: "Government had permission to procure equipment at pace and without tendering under the law, but acting fast did not give it license to rip up record keeping on decisions. It did not publish contracts in time and kept poor records of why some companies won multi-million pound contracts. The cost of emergency procurement - £billions higher than the equivalent a year before - highlights how both its pandemic plan and supply of essential equipment were inadequate.
“Frontline workers were left without adequate supplies, risking their own and their families’ lives to provide treatment and care. We’re at a dangerous new phase of the pandemic, in our third national lockdown with no defined end in sight. The government needs to acknowledge the errors and be better prepared."
SFG20 is the industry standard for building maintenance, offering comprehensive maintenance schedules, accessed via cutting-edge software, Facilities-iQ.
Following a period of remarkable growth and momentum, Safety, Health and Wellbeing Live is making a powerful move—relocating its southern edition to the iconic London Olympia on 18–19 June 2025.
Housing 2025 is coming to Manchester Central on 24-26 June. Welcoming everyone in the housing and wider living sector under one roof, As the only place the whole UK housing sector comes together every year, it is where the sector will discuss and collaborate, identify solutions and speak with one voice to those framing the debate.
In January 2025, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology announced a new ‘AI Opportunities Action Plan’ to encourage an increase in AI adoption across the UK. What will the Government’s plans for AI mean for local authority teams? How will emerging technologies affect environmental health services in the future?
At Words of World, we specialise in professional translation and interpreting, d
Experience and unforgettable 1 hour journey through maritime history and breathtaking landscapes.
As public sector facilities face increasing demands for efficiency, transparency, and sustainability, facilities management is undergoing a data-driven transformation. Dr. Matt Tucker, director of research at the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), explores why the sector needs a data revolution and introduces the emerging concept of the FM Analyst.
As the UK races to improve the energy efficiency of its ageing housing stock, retrofit measures such as cavity wall, external wall, and spray foam insulation offer potential benefits -- but can also bring unitended consequnces, including damp, mould, and structural damage. This article by the Property Care Association (PCA) explores why careful planning and expert oversight are essential to ensure retrofits deliver on their promises without creating new problems