A company linked to Baroness Michelle Mone must pay £122 million. This ruling comes after a major PPE contract breach. The Department of Health and Social Care sued PPE Medpro. Consequently, a High Court judge found the company in breach of its contract. The government demanded this payment for faulty personal protective equipment.
Moreover, the company supplied sterile surgical gowns for NHS workers. However, the gowns failed to meet required standards. Justice Cockerill delivered the ruling on Wednesday. She stated the contract was complex. Nonetheless, she clearly found Medpro breached its terms. The company failed to prove a validated sterilisation process. Additionally, the gowns lacked a necessary certification number.
The government initially awarded the contract in 2020. During the Covid pandemic, the nation urgently needed PPE. Furthermore, Medpro entered through a “VIP lane”. Baroness Mone reportedly recommended the firm. Her husband, Doug Barrowman, led the consortium that founded the company. The government then ordered 25 million gowns.
Later, officials inspected the delivered gowns. They decided the gowns were not compliant. Subsequently, the Department of Health rejected the entire shipment. The government then asked for a full refund just before Christmas 2020. They also conducted their own tests. Shockingly, 103 out of 140 tested gowns failed sterility checks.
Therefore, the government launched legal action in 2022. Medpro argued it had fulfilled the contract. The company insisted its gowns were sterile. Conversely, the judge found their evidence lacking. Medpro also suggested the government could have sold the gowns. Alternatively, they proposed using them as non-sterile isolation gowns. However, Justice Cockerill dismissed these arguments. She noted the NHS had no need for more isolation gowns.
This case represents a serious PPE contract breach. Previously, Baroness Mone denied any direct involvement. Then, in December 2023, she publicly admitted the opposite. She confessed she would benefit from millions in profits. Also, she admitted lying about her role. She said this was to avoid media attention.
Now, the court has mandated repayment. The judge gave Medpro until October 15 to pay. However, the company’s ability to pay is uncertain. It appointed administrators just before the ruling. Its latest accounts showed very limited funds. Chancellor Rachel Reeves commented on the situation. She vowed to recover the public money. She said the funds belong in schools and hospitals.
Meanwhile, Baroness Mone called the ruling “shocking but predictable”. She claimed it was a win for the establishment. Similarly, a spokesperson for Mr. Barrowman described it as a “travesty of justice”. They argued the judgment did not reflect the trial evidence.
A separate criminal investigation continues. The National Crime Agency is probing the PPE procurement. This PPE contract breach case highlights ongoing scrutiny of pandemic spending. The government continues its efforts to reclaim the funds through the administration process.
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