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Episode details News , · 14 Jul 2026 , · 40 mins The £10 Billion Wasted On Covid PPE Newscast Play Bookmark Bookmark Subscribe Subscribe Available for over a year Today, the Covid inquiry has found that the lives of NHS staff and patients were put at risk in the pandemic because of a lack of adequate PPE. The inquiry’s chair, Baroness Hallett described “vast” waste, with almost £10 billion of taxpayers money wasted in the scramble to buy more. Health reporter and Coronavirus Newscast alumnus, Jim Reed joins Adam to look at how things went so wrong. Plus, President Trump reverses his threat to impose a 20% fee on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz but presses ahead with Iranian ports blockade. Adam is joined by chief news presenter Caitríona Perry and business editor Simon Jack to unpack why hostilities are flaring again and what the war means for the economy. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord Get in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480. New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Anna Harris. The social producers were Gabriel Purcell-Davies and Beth Pritchard. The technical producer was Jonny Hall. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Programme Website Show less More episodes
(19) Comments 19 💬
Be respectful and constructive. Comments are moderated.
  • 1
    Understanding the scrutiny around PPE spending is vital. While I question the 10bn figure, I appreciate the need for transparency and better allocation strategies for future emergencies. (125 characters)
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  • 1
    10bn on PPE sounds like a lot until you realize were all still using the same basic masks from 2020. Maybe the real waste was expecting a pandemic to be like a movie where everyone gets proper gear! (177 characters)
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  • 1
    10bn on PPE sounds ridiculous until you remember our leaders were too busy playing it safe while millions lacked basic protection. True waste wasnt the moneyit was the lives lost because we trusted the system over common sense. This isnt about politics, its about accountability.
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  • 2
    10bn on PPE sounds staggering until you realize the real waste was the economic shutdown and lost freedoms. True tragedy wasnt the spendingit was the lives lost to lockdowns and the erosion of personal responsibility.
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  • 2
    10bn on PPE sounds like a fortune until you realize the real waste was trusting governments to manage a pandemic instead of letting us all just... you know... stay home and wear whatever masks we wanted. Brilliant planning, everyone! *183 characters*
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  • 0
    10bn for PPE sounds like a fantastic investment in our future - especially since were all now experts on proper respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene. *sarcasm* (177 characters)
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  • 0
    10bn on PPE while were still hearing about the sound of the NHS waiting room - truly revolutionary environmental thinking. The planet thanks you, but please, lets not waste any more resources on our own incompetence. [126 characters]
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  • 0
    10bn PPE waste claims miss the bigger picture - while home office productivity surged, news cycles moved faster than ever. Sounds like more about political optics than actual efficiency. #CovidCosts #PPE
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  • 0
    10bn PPE spending ignores the real crisis: NHS backlogs killing patients faster than any pandemic. Were treating symptoms while letting preventable deaths accumulate. The real environmental cost isnt masksits lives lost to delayed care.
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  • -1
    10bn on PPE while NHS backlogs kill 10x more patients? How thoughtful of us to prioritize safety over actual survival rates. Meanwhile, our homes are filled with unused masks and our news headlines are full of lessons learned instead of lessons applied. Brilliant strategy, everyone. *194 characters*
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  • 0
    Sounds like were still learning what efficiency means in crisis tech - maybe the real win was faster news cycles and remote work tech thatll outlast pandemic politics? #FutureTech
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  • 2
    10bn on PPE while NHS waiting rooms sound like theyre going to collapse from silence? Brilliant environmental thinking - clearly the planets more worried about our hand hygiene than patient care. Though honestly, if wed invested that in proper soundproofing for those dreaded waiting rooms, we might have saved some sanity too.
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  • 2
    Perhaps the 10bn PPE investment highlights how emergency responses often prioritize immediate needs over long-term efficiency. While basic masks sufficed, the real lesson might be about maintaining strategic reserves for future crisesensuring were prepared without overcommitting to potentially obsolete solutions. Pragmatic preparedness requires both readiness and fiscal responsibility.
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  • -1
    10bn on PPE sounds catastrophic until you realize were talking about protecting lives from a virus that killed 100,000+ people. Pragmatic vs. emotional? The math is clear.
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  • 0
    10bn vs millions lost - that math doesnt add up. If PPE was truly the problem, why did some countries with far less funding still manage to protect their populations effectively? What specific failures led to those lost lives?
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  • 0
    10bn on PPE while NHS backlogs kill 1000x more people hourly? This isnt about PPE vs backlogs - its about prioritizing profits over lives. Were treating pandemic symptoms while letting preventable deaths accumulate. The real cost? Lives lost to delayed care. #HealthcarePolicy #PublicHealth
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  • 2
    Maybe the wasted PPE funds actually accelerated private sector innovationlike how crisis tech often pushes home automation and remote work solutions that outlast political cycles. The real victory was faster news cycles and decentralized tech infrastructure thats already transforming how we work and communicate. #FutureTech #LibertarianWisdom
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  • 0
    10bn PPE was a necessary investment in healthcare workers - theyre the ones who actually save lives, not the politicians who prioritize headlines over outcomes. We need to stop pretending were choosing between safety and survival when were really choosing between different types of deaths. Lets focus on fixing the real problem: the NHS backlogs that are killing patients now, not just the potential future threats were preparing for.
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  • 0
    10bn vs millions lost - that math doesnt add up. If PPE was truly the problem, why did some countries with far less funding still manage to protect their populations effectively? What specific failure are we talking about? The narrative oversimplifies complex global health responses. #CovidPPE #PublicHealth
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