The UK could be landed with an eye-watering £15 billion bill for PPE after the government scrambled to ensure there was enough supply for front line workers.
But Number 10 say the figure was "value for money" - despite price hikes as the coronavirus pandemic fuelled demand. Ministers were warned at the start of the pandemic that they had not stockpiled enough gloves, aprons and masks to keep NHS staff safe.
And yesterday it emerged the Treasury had allocated a staggering £15 billion to fund the scramble to ensure enough stock of PPE - alongside £10 billion for the test, track and trace programme.
It formed part of almost £50 billion in additional spending on public services in response to the coronavirus crisis. The figures were revealed
Read more on mirror.co.uk