Revealed: NHS denied PPE at height of Covid-19 as supplier prioritised China
by Harry Davies and Juliette Garside from on (#55XRY)
Disclosures call into question UK's reliance on just in time' logistics during pandemic
The NHS was deprived of large amounts of protective gear at the height of the coronavirus outbreak after a French company contracted to supply millions of masks allegedly prioritised more lucrative deals with deep-pocketed clients including a Chinese state-owned energy company.
A joint investigation by the Guardian and the French news website Mediapart has uncovered evidence suggesting the mask manufacturer Valmy failed to fulfil the terms of a 1.2m contract with the NHS to supply about 7m masks in the event of a pandemic.
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