UKHSA was set-up with ‘no formal governance’
UK health body set up to replace beleaguered Public Health England set up with ‘no formal governance’ and ‘weak financial controls’ say MPs
The UK Health Security Agency was set up with no ‘formal governance’ or the most basic of financial controls, a damning report says.
The government body, which replaced Public Health England in April 2021, was tasked with protecting the population against threats from disease and other hazards, including bioterrorism.
But the ‘weak financial controls’ mean that £3.3bn of NHS Test & Trace spending cannot be verified against the correct financials.
Meanwhile, there is no clear plan for a national emergency stockpile of personal protective equipment, vaccines and medicines for a future pandemic, the Public Accounts Committee said.
Large quantities of unusable and unnecessary personal protective equipment still lie in storage awaiting disposal through recycling or incineration, it notes.
The government body, which replaced Public Health England in April 2021, was tasked with protecting the population against threats from disease and other hazards, including bioterrorism. Led by Dr Jenny Harries, the report criticized the appointment of a chief executive with no technical experience in running a complex organization
In March this year officials were unable to carry out a proper inventory of personal protective equipment as they estimated it would involve moving and opening inaccessible stacks of storage containers and would cost £70 million.
But ongoing storage and disposal costs for unusable items remain high. Over the past two years, the Department of Health has written off £9.9bn in personal protective equipment, £2.6bn in Covid medicines and £1.9bn in Covid vaccines.
Led by Dame Jenny Harries, the report criticized the appointment of a chief executive with no technical experience in running a complex organization.
It called for the implementation of robust financial controls and processes and a clear plan to deliver unqualified accounts.
Dame Meg Hillier MP, chair of the committee, said the UK Health Security Agency was ‘established in 2021 with much fanfare’ to protect against threats to our country’s health.
She said: ‘It is therefore utterly staggering that an organization considered to be the cornerstone of our collective security was set up with a leadership crippled by a lack of formal governance and financial controls so bad that billions of pounds were poured into NHS Test & Trace stock can no longer be justified.’
She added: “It is very alarming that there is no clear plan from the government for an emergency supply of vaccines, medicines and personal protective equipment.
“Three years after the start of the pandemic, the government still lacks proper control over the PPE stockpiles it already has.
“This could expose frontline workers in the future to shortages similar to those in 2020.
It would be completely inexcusable if the government did not make serious preparations for a future pandemic.”
Dame Jenny, CEO of the UK Health Security Agency, said changes have already been made.
She said: “We have always taken our accounting and financial controls very seriously.
“The UKHSA was created in unprecedented circumstances when tackling covid was our number one priority, and we inherited significant pre-existing account challenges without full board autonomy.
‘In an enormously complex organisation, we set up strong governance arrangements as quickly as possible within the control available to us.
“Because of these advances, our organization is now substantially different in terms of stability, governance and financial control.
“We are working with DHSC to ensure the robustness of our accounts is recognized both now and in the future. Despite these inherited financial challenges, the UKHSA continues to fulfill its priority task of protecting lives.”