£1bn 'at risk' in disputed pandemic PPE contracts signed by DHSC
22 Nov 2023 Health & Social Care
£1bn 'at risk' in disputed pandemic PPE contracts signed by DHSC
Health department in negotiations over 36 contracts, with 3.8 billion items of PPE procured for Covid deemed not fit for purpose
Covid Inquiry: Government wasn’t ‘electrified’ by threat from virus, Whitty says
22 Nov 2023 Health & Social Care
Covid Inquiry: Government wasn’t ‘electrified’ by threat from virus, Whitty says
Chief medical officer says “hard geopolitical threats” are treated differently to health emergencies
Covid Inquiry: Whitty not consulted on break-up of Public Health England
21 Nov 2023 Health & Social Care
Covid Inquiry: Whitty not consulted on break-up of Public Health England
Chief medical officer says lack of investment to blame for test-and-trace shortcomings
Covid Inquiry: Cabinet Office’s initial response structure ‘was source of confusion’
08 Nov 2023 Health & Social Care
Covid Inquiry: Cabinet Office’s initial response structure ‘was source of confusion’
Ministerial Implementation Group model was ditched because of overlaps and lack of clarity over responsibility
Johnson and Sunak ‘blindsided’ Covid Taskforce with Eat Out to Help Out scheme
08 Nov 2023 Health & Social Care
Johnson and Sunak ‘blindsided’ Covid Taskforce with Eat Out to Help Out scheme
Officials at the heart of government’s pandemic response were kept in the dark about bid to boost footfall at restaurants and cafés, inquiry hears
Covid Inquiry: Hancock was a serial ‘over-promiser’ not a liar, perm sec says
03 Nov 2023 Health & Social Care
Covid Inquiry: Hancock was a serial ‘over-promiser’ not a liar, perm sec says
Chris Wormald rejects criticisms DHSC was structurally “chaotic”, “dysfunctional” and “ungovernable”
Covid Inquiry: 2020 back-to-office drive ‘made absolutely no sense’
02 Nov 2023 Health & Social Care
Covid Inquiry: 2020 back-to-office drive ‘made absolutely no sense’
Government ditched science and followed media and Conservative MPs, former No.10 comms chief Lee Cain says
Lee Cain: Comms professionals 'were shaping Covid policy because no one else was'
31 Oct 2023 Health & Social Care
Lee Cain: Comms professionals 'were shaping Covid policy because no one else was'
Former No.10 comms director tells inquiry the Covid pandemic was the "wrong crisis" for Boris Johnson’s "skill set"
Essential public services breaking down, report warns
30 Oct 2023 Health & Social Care
Essential public services breaking down, report warns
Performance tracker highlights “dire state” of public services, amid predictions they are set to decline further
ONS statistician honoured for lifesaving pandemic work  
25 Oct 2023 Health & Social Care
ONS statistician honoured for lifesaving pandemic work  
Vahé Nafilyan "wasn’t afraid to put novel ideas forward" when Covid hit, national statistician says
DHSC details £700m NHS plans to counter unsafe concrete
18 Oct 2023 Health & Social Care
DHSC details £700m NHS plans to counter unsafe concrete
Second perm sec Shona Dunn tells MPs four-year RAAC bill is “likely” to rise if capital contingency spending is prioritised
Arrogance among officials compromised Covid response, nudge unit boss claims
16 Oct 2023 Health & Social Care
Arrogance among officials compromised Covid response, nudge unit boss claims
Government advisers accused of being reluctant to learn from other countries, inquiry documents show
‘I cannot cope with this’: Covid Inquiry messages show cab sec’s despair at policy flip-flops
13 Oct 2023 Health & Social Care
‘I cannot cope with this’: Covid Inquiry messages show cab sec’s despair at policy flip-flops
Simon Case WhatsApps say government “looks like a terrible, tragic joke” and PM’s partner “is real person in charge”
Auditor KPMG hit with ‘record’ £21m fine for Carillion failings
13 Oct 2023 Health & Social Care
Auditor KPMG hit with ‘record’ £21m fine for Carillion failings
Scrutiny of collapsed outsourcer’s finances was “very bad, over an extended period”, boss admits
Covid Inquiry: Requests for science advice 'chaotic and poorly formulated'
13 Oct 2023 Health & Social Care
Covid Inquiry: Requests for science advice 'chaotic and poorly formulated'
"The formulation of science commissioning from the centre got quite chaotic for quite some time," former GO-Science chief says
'Am I being unreasonable?': Cummings messages throw light on No.10 Covid tensions
11 Oct 2023 Health & Social Care
'Am I being unreasonable?': Cummings messages throw light on No.10 Covid tensions
Former political adviser described Cabinet Office as “terrifyingly shit, no plans, totally behind pace"
'No.10 chaos as usual': Vallance diary lifts lid on tensions at Covid Inquiry
04 Oct 2023 Health & Social Care
'No.10 chaos as usual': Vallance diary lifts lid on tensions at Covid Inquiry
Simon Case compared politicians pushing for restrictions to end to children testing limits with their parents, panel hears
NI perm secs told to begin consultation on cash-raising measures
21 Sep 2023 Health & Social Care
NI perm secs told to begin consultation on cash-raising measures
Move follows secretary of state’s imposition of £14.2bn budget amid Stormont power vacuum
NI civil servants to strike again over failure to address pay dispute
14 Sep 2023 Health & Social Care
NI civil servants to strike again over failure to address pay dispute
Civil servants are "victims of the secretary of state’s sanctions budget", NIPSA union says
DHSC lacked economic advice to support Covid response, ex-minister says
06 Sep 2023 Health & Social Care
DHSC lacked economic advice to support Covid response, ex-minister says
Bethell also criticised No.10’s "odd" approach to managing the pandemic, and argued that government should be like Transformers
MPs demand closer cross-departmental working on drugs
31 Aug 2023 Health & Social Care
MPs demand closer cross-departmental working on drugs
Policy should be made jointly between DHSC and Home Office, report argues
DWP broke equality laws over communications with blind benefits claimants
24 Aug 2023 Health & Social Care
DWP broke equality laws over communications with blind benefits claimants
Department agrees to pay compensation and improve its services for people with sight problems
I’m proud we made sure vaping was available in UK, says behavioural insights boss David Halpern
22 Aug 2023 Health & Social Care
I’m proud we made sure vaping was available in UK, says behavioural insights boss David Halpern
Nudge unit founding director tells CSW that vaping has saved an estimated “million years of life” – but says the follow-through regulations have not been good enough
Jonathan Van-Tam takes job at vaccine maker Moderna
18 Aug 2023 Health & Social Care
Jonathan Van-Tam takes job at vaccine maker Moderna
Former deputy chief medical officer’s new role emerges through DHSC transparency data