The BMJ reports that the UK government has spent £10bn on its covid-19 test and trace programme, £15bn on personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare staff and £6.5bn on other ‘health’ spending. “Experts said that they were astonished at the size of the sums, including the billions paid to private companies such as Serco to run ‘test and trace’ services.”
Allyson Pollock, a member of the Independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, described the £10bn figure as “scandalous expenditure,” adding, “there are really serious questions to be asked about the way these contracts were set up and about their performance. Ten billion pounds spent, and the only effective track and trace is being carried out by traditional public health teams.” Pollock concludes that, “This money should have been put into supporting the established system of public health services instead of going into new parallel centralised services run by private companies, where much of it is squandered and wasted.”
Chris Ham, former chief executive of the King’s Fund, said that the numbers were “astonishing.” He tweeted: “Would be good to understand exactly what the money was spent on, especially on test and trace.”
The following are just a few of those who have been ‘awarded’ Covid-related contracts without contract tenders or any independent oversight. They range from pest-control companies to publicans, experts in offshore investment to fashion, confectionary and interior design companies.
AYANDA CAPITAL, CARGO SERVICES, CLANDEBOYES AGENCIES, CLIPPER LOGISTICS, CRISP WEBSITES, FACULTY, FAMILY OFFICE, GLOBUS, HANBURY STRATEGY, KAU MEDIA, MEDICINE BOX LTD, MELLER DESIGNS, P14 MEDICAL, PA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LTD, PEST FIX, PPE MEDPRO, PUBLIC FIRST, RANDOX HEALTH, SERCO, TAEG ENERGY, TOPHAM GUERIN, TOWER SUPPLIES, UNISERVE, UNISPACE, VENTURES LTD
The BMJ concludes that “The coronavirus pandemic has unleashed state corruption on a grand scale that is harmful to public health.” On a scale that would make Pablo Escobar jealous.
It is not a public enquiry that is needed, but police investigations and criminal charges.
