NHS warned in 2016 that stockpiled PPE might not fit 76% of its staff | Covid Inquiry UK

[@rogernewman5903]

He’s a cold fish, dodging and ducking from questions, he has been CEO in charge of dismantling the NHS but he would say he was unaware of it. He has all the answers to exonerate himself from any blame for the failure of a once world acclaimed Health service.

[@camoTiara]

Corruption and lies.

[@tillytoad804]

Very well put! Why can’t they just put their big boy pants on and take some responsibility

[@JT-si6bl]

It's the type of 'well rehearsed' answer any ceo is going to give.

[@tomricketts7821]

They didn’t get to where they did without that sort of ability which explains not excuses

[@camoTiara]

@@JT-si6bl He probably used the AI app to generate replies to likely questions.

[@whynotstartusingyourbrain8726]

Did this clown actually just say that it is better to wait for an emergency to test your equipment? Fire him ASAP.

[@kenjepson1908]

Yep, that was pretty much his excuse.

[@adityahs1]

Having worked as a doctor in the NHS for 25 years, all I can say, is that Lord Stevens does a very good impression of many of my managers over the years: pleasant, urbane, experienced, self-serving, slippery to the point of lying, and frequently incompetent.

[@anthonyoloughlin3532]

Lying

[@shaun906]

thank you for your service!

[@gratiaDeiMMXXV]

These are very strong English traits.

[@undinia]

@@gratiaDeiMMXXVAs an English midwife I resent that comment. Sweeping generalisations never add anything useful to the conversation but simply expose your prejudices.

[@gratiaDeiMMXXV]

@@undinia You could have simply stated that as an English person " I resent your comment" was there a need to bring your midwifery background into it ? you can only expose something if its hidden , I expressed my prejudice "overtly" .I am not too sure how were you able to expose my prejudices.

[@ColinMill1]

So, the NHS was headed up by someone with an MBA and not the first clue about medicine - what could possibly go wrong?

[@Geffo555]

Failing to provide NHS staff with the right PPE was criminal negligence. Nurses and doctors died. Directors of a private company would be facing prosecution.

[@NO_Expectations]

Nurses and doctors also spent their time making youtube videos and smiling while many people were living in fear or dying.

[@Geffo555]

@@NO_Expectations Was Boris your hero? How do you feel now that you know he saw you as expendable?

[@iainhill492]

MORE have died and suffered poor health through injury from their solution than during the divoc !

[@Geffo555]

@@iainhill492 How do you measure that? How many MORE would have died without lockdowns? How would the virus have mutated had it been allowed to just spread? And who exactly are you willing to sacrifice for the economy?

[@noelfleming3567]

Did covid mean doctors and nurses couldn't smile or use their fones 😢😢😢

[@kennethwalsh8804]

I've got a good, well paid job, for being in charge. But, don't expect me to be responsible for anything. Utterly disgraceful.

[@jmcm8546]

The level of stupidity, ignorance, lack of care, by people who are paid to be clever and to care, is frightening indeed

[@bob23301]

Criminals every last one of them.

[@azena.]

Literally his job to know and be on top of all of this. Capitalists can't have their dream of CEO's getting paid top £ because "their neck is on the line" whilst also having every CEO have the "I wasn't aware of this" excuse at their disposal, they are mutually exclusive positions! Utter failure and a dereliction of duty, should result in any and all bonus payments being returned in full, plus jail time as an absolute minimum.

[@Rusty-Hinge]

With the funding and management resources allocated to the NHS, they have absolutely no excuses. As a former registered nurse in the NHS, my advice is not to believe a word they spout and keep yourself as well as you possibly can.

[@31Blaize]

At the start of the pandemic, we were having to reuse disposable FFP3 masks and being told we might need to share non-disposable masks. That's how grim the supplies were.

[@anthonyoloughlin3532]

Nothing to do with me Gov. Just look at his face with his smirk trying to break through. God help the country with people like that in charge of anything.

[@fredtaylor7242]

and we still have a large number of shipping containers full of (not fit for use PPE) at Tilbury Docks, which were ordered by the Government at the very offset, the time when Hancock was on TV saying how he had spent the weekend in Glasgow overseeing wagons being loaded and PPE shipped out, Total lies, he never oversaw anything

[@007JHS]

Let's correct something here... in 2016 they sold off fully 40% of the national stockpile of PPE, they put the rest in control of private enterprise at immense cost (£billions), they were so incompetent that the Army Logistical Corps had to be called in to organise manage and dispense equipment.

[@nathanprice1841]

Another guy lying through his teeth and taking no responsibility for anything that went wrong or didn't happen! Not a single person interviewed so far has said sorry for anything or admitting fault, just passing the blame to someone else....How can anything improve in the future if people don't acknowledge the faults?

[@pimeye]

He did not cover himself in glory. At my hospital, we had to buy our own scrubs and FFP3 masks.

[@MKHNitro]

Where is Jeremy Hunt who was Secretary of State for health after the pandemic excercise Stevens trying to remain blameless when his own NHS position was woeful

[@markpass4215]

You simply wouldn’t trust this man within seconds of him slipping past you..what a trail he has left

[@Nuts-Bolts]

Reminds me of Sir Humphrey Appleby: No, they have the right to be ignorant. Knowledge implies complicity, ignorance has a certain Dignity.

[@markpass4215]

That’s a disservice to Sir Humphrey who was intelligent, humorous and charming…this man is just incompetent disingenuous and so slippery it’s a wonder he can stand up

[@johnhickin8118]

Where did they find this WEASEL. How many of his mates does he cover for ??????

[@johnwall8862]

Lots

[@andrewcawdell]

"I do not want to give you an answer that I... is not fact-based. I can certainly ask that question and make sure that you get that answer." Translation: The straight answer will make me look incompetent and culpable. Let me go away and come up with a statement that spins the blame onto other people even though I was ultimately responsible for what they did and was also paid handsomely for that responsibility because it was supposed to be my job.

[@NO_Expectations]

All those advisors, ministers and politician's from all parties need to be held accountable for a crisis of their own making, also people who made money supplying inadequate equipment. I will also include the media and the medical profession for not speaking out, I no longer trust my G.P because they took a oath and then bottled it because they were scared to speak out.

[@nolacharles9883]

Well said!

[@therealrobertbirchall]

Doctors are just the same as the rest. You try making a complaint about a medical Doctor, it always has to be considered by another medical Doctor who will support his colleague no matter what. They are like the Freemasons.

[@anthonyoloughlin3532]

They won't go after the ones who supplied the inadequate equipment. They were their buddies.

[@NO_Expectations]

@@anthonyoloughlin3532 Then the people need to go after them. Terrible crimes have been commited and if the police do nothing then they are useless and the people need to take the power back.

[@dianeshelton9592]

Why on earth are you blaming your own GP for being unable to wear PPE that fitted them because it was not available? Talk about victim blaming. Your own GP was as much a victim as you and a higher proportion of GP per capita died from and suffer long term consequences of Covid. Insane . They took an oath to do no harm, harm was done to them.

[@dougtsax]

Always trying to avoid admitting anything from the time, or even being there. Just found out afterwards from her research.

[@zetectic7968]

Some much effort to avoid responsibility & pass the buck.

[@noelfleming3567]

👍

[@simonhammond7061]

Quite unbelievable - a real sense of having little accountability and responsibility for his roles and responsibilites as CEO of the NHS..

[@vmcauley]

A vacuous vessel... This sort of management type is the undoing of the United Kingdom.......

[@nurse2recover425]

CEO but doesn't no nothing , sorry buck stops with him that's what he got paid for

[@allenp920]

Wasn’t me guv.

[@petermizon4344]

THIS PROVED JOHNSON AND THE TORIES ATTITUDE WAS LET OLD DIE AS HE WASNT INTERESTED IN BUYING NEW PPE

[@bobjohnbowles]

Basically his position is 'I am the boss but I know nothing'. So, prima facie criminal negligence. It was his dam job to know.

[@dante9284]

How would the issue with FIT testing in ethnic minorities and their subsequent increased risk of infection + poorer outcomes _not_ have been identified earlier if there were a rolling programme in place to test staff with the PPE kept in our stockpiles? They're somehow saying we _needed_ a critical shortage in order to realise that the PPE we have isn't going to protect a great number of staff?

[@terencejones7609]

Is there a university degree In waffle? This man must have got top marks.😅

[@daveabsolution5246]

There seems to be in the alternative reality that this tool inhabits

[@davesy6969]

When covid hit, the fit-testers came to the hospital where my niece works as a Sonographer and told her that she had a funny shaped face and that it would be a month before they could supply her with her custom fitted PPE mask.

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

Another public school alumnus, demonstrating The Peter Principal writ large.

[@cpmf2112]

The graduate from Eton really outshines them all, right? 🙄

[@johnwright9372]

He went to a comprehensive school, was a member of the Labour Party, but before appointed as CE of NHS England had worked for the US United Health insurance company. 😊

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

I withdraw my statement about him, but he's exceptional. @@johnwright9372

[@nalodailec]

I just heard one truth from this around Minute 2:20 when he said he didn't want to give an answer.

[@megandolimpio6579]

Love this channel. Love

[@AndyK.1]

I don’t want to give you an answer that is not fact based. First time that’s happened 😂

[@nathanjessup8409]

How lucky was it that the landlord of Matt Hancock's local pub had the right connection to procure ppe😮

[@dorotheascrivener6285]

The shocking numbers of very, very overweight front line NHS staff should have long since been addressed. That so many have so many health issues or potential risks to their health due to their lifestyle choices was and still is appalling.

[@janetmontgomery-r6j]

He's disgraceful as CEO of NHS. Not competent. Not caring. Paper pushing, enjoying high flying and living. Accountability...responsibility.competency. Planning. For services caring for patients for staff... Not his job. He's a CEO. I've seen some very good ones over the years and some awful ones... Who again see it as their route to high salaries. High living, entry into elite ranks of 'entitled'. Not on merits but because....

[@kevinvictor9190]

If you want to hold these people accountable, its called responsible directed disobedience

[@garethgriffiths4091]

Squirming, dissembling . . . lying.

[@janetmontgomery-r6j]

We'll described for many NHS managers... We see it again and again

[@clacton17]

We cannot be suprised he is ducking and diving, he got his Peerage, and no doubt belongs to the funny hand shake tossers.

[@jroobz]

The last point he makes is ridiculous

[@leso204]

Was it 12 million quid we paid some woman who was given a peeridge afterwards £325 a day .....

[@chrislaurenceleo]

Why does the NHS need an extremely well paid CEO who takes no responsibility for not doing his job?

[@jasoncooper9391]

People who voted for these Tories need to be ashamed of themselves

[@rodneykaye9399]

He is not a tory but a civil servant who was in charge of North Staffs w 5:51 hen hundreds of patients died unnecessarily under Andy Burnham the labour health minister at the time. He was promoted to his new level of incompetence in charge of the NHS.

[@dougtsax]

A rolling program of fit testing of people with resperators is standard practice in the nuclear industry. Or at least it was, it might have changed under BJ.

[@Wellygigs]

He wears the Poppy with knowledge the cameras are on him . Nothing to.do.with respecting the men and woman of war . Vile, absolutely vile. And we tolerate it.

[@clivewalker5465]

'' Never mind , Our Friends , Family and Tory backers made £MILLIONS out out of PPE Contracts ''............

[@grahamsclater9988]

Now he's struggling for an answer...........

[@shadowbanned4149]

Yep THE FLU ///// BAM

[@davidwhitehouse2162]

Why does the British National Health Service have a Company Executive Officer? Political obduracy and a level of arrogant reliance on individuals, are clearly in no way competent to be put in charge of such critical services, that the whole country and the many staff, rely on especially when hit with a devastating pandemic. Bureaucracy and petty penny pinching, amid far too little accountability, continue to allow stupidly ridiculous mismanagement, when 'lessons' also continue to be ignored and consequences never affect the culprits, only the victims.

[@ThroatSore]

Do we think the KC will accept that last answer?

[@catherinemartin6258]

The hole thing is just shocking we were so let down by this government in every aspect of the pandemic

[@The.Doctor.Venkman]

It wasn't a 'let down', it was deliberate and exactly the same, including the new speak, across other compromised countries.

[@peterdollins3610]

This guy is burbling to cover up and lie.

[@daveabsolution5246]

So did I get this right? The management of the NHS would not have found the problems with the PPE being stockpiled for a pandemic unless there was a pandemic. Does that not kind of defeat the point of preparation?

[@GillianSmith-ke1vw]

ive had a can of fishing maggots wriggle less than this specimen.....it wasnt me sir, a big boy did it and ran away...you were running the show ,lord whateveryournameis..you couldnt make these creatures up...!

[@derekj071]

If Hancock's messages about "Scaring the life out of people "and "when shall we unleash the new variant on them", doesn't lead to serious criminal charges and imprisonment... Hands up if you think anything will come of this pantomime?

[@PhantomRaspberryBlower]

Having worked in retail supply I can say that the sad reality is that you need close to infinite stock (at unlimited cost) to have every size available everywhere all the time. (2 sizes you need twice the stock, 10 sizes means ten times. Given that we are talking of BILLIONS of items of PPE, it would have taken many multiple billions of items most of which would be unused everywhere most of the time, to ensure every size is available all the time to fit every body type. It sadly is just not mathematically possible) It would have been better to have clothing that you could better ADJUST to body type. Which is the right question to ask. But the line of questioning here is completely wrong. The lawyer is totally clueless (as is Simon Stevens)

[@steve6375]

You are probably right. Given that the PPE also has expiry dates as well, it is a brave person that stockpiles millions of pounds worth of PPE that may never be used and will eventually be discarded or sold off cheaply just before it reaches the expiry date rather than use that money for essential NHS purposes (e.g. staff, beds, equipment, drugs, etc.). We all can understand that compromises have to be made by managers given a budget and by gov - why wasn't he pressed for an explanation? What sort of enquiry is this?

[@rmc5278]

Just people getting paid nothing will happen to anyone involved

[@speedybean8884]

The 2016 inquiry was in response to the 2009/10 SARS epidemic. Government ignored it and we paid in so many ways.

[@geraldcoffey3303]

Maybe they should have tested their face nappies first to see if they actually worked. Before wasting millions on ineffective ppe

[@sisuguillam5109]

Mask work.

[@sy11ll15]

I wore a full face ffp3 respirator on a hospital and was berated for not protecting others…unfiltered exhaust…. I made sure myself of a good seal, quite frankly if nhs employees can’t work out how to select and achieve adequate protection for themselves there is no hope. I’m a builder and use said PPE daily or I did until filters became unavailable!

[@jonnyboy8000]

Buck passing at it’s best

[@sisuguillam5109]

Badly fitting PPE is a known problem. When PPE does not fit staff working in the sector he mentioned that means it will not fit staff in other areas. He should know that - if he doesn't the public ought to be made aware of why he didn't.

[@glynjones5280]

Failed PPE, ask the corrupt tories

[@simmysimmy3748]

Why was it stockpiled in 2016?? Were they given the Heads up about something??

[@到青蛙]

The guy should go now without pension.

[@KenPassey-hd2mc]

So no forward planning!

[@mrstevecox7]

This exchange was highly unsatisfactory. There was a huge overlap in PPE suitable for pandemic flu and COVID. There was obviously no preparedness at the top of NHS management to practically ensure that the NHS - and the country- were protected against ANY pandemic. This should have been brought out and made public. As it was, this manager/ executive evaded all responsibility and spewed out complete platitudes and excuses which any clearly directed questions might have exposed.

[@googleuser-zk9to]

Incompetence at its best! God help us all!!

[@tomleader7054]

So smug then. Trying to be smug and safe now but not realising how badly he condems himself.

[@paultanton4307]

Why/how were NERVTAG so confident of an incoming Pandemic in 2016 - what did they know what we didn't ?.

[@sisuguillam5109]

Oh, my word... you okay?

[@ClaribelRamirz]

Who is the DA? The District Attorney interrogating? I think that PR would be interested to listen to this proceeding. By the way Covid is an unprecedented epidemic. How can anyone respond to a situation where there is no answere and the scientific community has to work on hypothesis and begin to debunk them and go by trial and error in those days? Also here in USA the White House and other politicians prevented the appropriate response to mitigate what was recognized as a pandemic? Shame on those in parliament and the queen's authority you prevented mitigating strategies.

[@johnmcfarlane748]

Evasion evasion evasion , i predict a high percentage of witnesses at this inquiry will be recalled to 'review' their testimony ,and this character will be one of them. As uncle junior said in the sopranos 'hes one slippery f- - k' !

[@dougtsax]

He is talking nonsense. Fit testing is just fit testing. Simple.

[@charlesflouvat1829]

Get that stumbling, mumbling, lawyer, away from this enquiry. There is a cuckoo in the nest

[@johntaylor3940]

NHS WILL BE BLAMED SO THE TORIES CAN SELL IT OFF , WATCH JAVID A TRAITOR

[@trevordavies5486]

Far too many of these "management types". Clueless about what the work actually involves just a certificate from some neo-liberal "business school". Not a hint of leadership qualities or sense of responsibility. Just bureaucrats withe latest "managerspeak" bs.

[@michaelworthington4454]

This is where your taxes are going. Paying non qualified ceo vast amounts of money to do naf all. This country is so screwed from top down.

[@davidhogan-o3x]

' ONLY WHEN A SHORTAGE AROSE THAT WE KNEW THER WAS A PROBLEM ' and he was CEO ???

[@andrewbarratt2608]

Was he a lord ? The lord of i did,nt know, so its not my fault ?...

[@hypernorm4802]

Can I condense my views on this c*Nt? Or would that be rude of me about this Lord of our realm?