DHSC writes off almost £10bn of PPE
26 Jan 2024 Health & Social Care
DHSC writes off almost £10bn of PPE
Government’s £13.6bn spend on PPE now worth £3.7bn
DHSC clarifies arrangements with X for analysing posts by job applicants
19 Jan 2024 Health & Social Care
DHSC clarifies arrangements with X for analysing posts by job applicants
Department updates procurement notice to clarify it is paying a monthly charge to analysis posts of would-be hires rather than entering into a multi-month contract
DHSC signs ‘ministerial intelligence’ deal with X to analyse posts by would-be hires
18 Jan 2024 Health & Social Care
DHSC signs ‘ministerial intelligence’ deal with X to analyse posts by would-be hires
Twitter UK will provide “a tool to support ministerial appointments by analysing posts by potential applicants”.
Fresh guidance tells civil servants to ignore ECHR rulings on Rwanda flights
18 Jan 2024 Health & Social Care
Fresh guidance tells civil servants to ignore ECHR rulings on Rwanda flights
Ministers will have final say on whether to ignore Rule 39 orders, perm sec confirms
Covid Inquiry: Sunak says expert advice ‘not needed’ for Eat Out to Help Out
12 Dec 2023 Health & Social Care
Covid Inquiry: Sunak says expert advice ‘not needed’ for Eat Out to Help Out
PM claims top scientific advisers had “ample opportunity” to voice concerns after scheme was announced
Covid Inquiry: Social care structures made care home response difficult, Hancock says
01 Dec 2023 Health & Social Care
Covid Inquiry: Social care structures made care home response difficult, Hancock says
Former health secretary admits it was misleading to say the government had thrown a protective ring around care homes from start of pandemic
Cummings was a ‘malign actor’, Hancock tells Covid Inquiry
01 Dec 2023 Health & Social Care
Cummings was a ‘malign actor’, Hancock tells Covid Inquiry
Former health secretary says No.10 needs to be capable of operating effectively even when “unprofessional” individuals have significant power
Hancock: Whitehall took too long to realise pandemic was a cross-government crisis
30 Nov 2023 Health & Social Care
Hancock: Whitehall took too long to realise pandemic was a cross-government crisis
Former health secretary tells Covid Inquiry he and DHSC were victims of a “toxic culture” of blame
Social care needs more attention in pandemic preparation, Harries tells Covid Inquiry
29 Nov 2023 Health & Social Care
Social care needs more attention in pandemic preparation, Harries tells Covid Inquiry
UK Health and Security Agency chief says there needs to be “much better” systematic planning for how to support people with social care needs during infectious outbreaks
'Too much was asked' of DHSC in early Covid response, Gove tells inquiry
28 Nov 2023 Health & Social Care
'Too much was asked' of DHSC in early Covid response, Gove tells inquiry
Can-do spirit was "admirable" but more departments should have been brought into the Covid response sooner, Gove says
Abuse could deter scientists from key roles in future crises, Van-Tam warns
23 Nov 2023 Health & Social Care
Abuse could deter scientists from key roles in future crises, Van-Tam warns
Former deputy chief medical officer says police asked him to move out of his home after his family were "threatened with having their throats cut"
£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”