UK Covid-19 Inquiry publishes expert report by Professor Albert Sanchez-Graells

Professor Sanchez-Graells presented and discussed the key findings of his report as an independent witness during the Covid-19 Inquiry's public hearings on 4 March 2025.

Press release issued: 11 March 2025

An expert report written by the Law School’s Professor Albert Sanchez-Graells sheds light on the way procurement was conducted by the government during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry was set up to examine the UK’s response to, and impact of, the pandemic, and to learn lessons and form recommendations to prevent corruption and maladministration in future procurement in reaction to emergencies.

Part of the Inquiry focuses on the public procurement of healthcare products such as PPE, ventilators and oxygen, which were high-demand supplies to the NHS frontline, as the way these items were procured raised significant public concern and allegations of waste, cronyism, and corruption.

The Inquiry instructed Professor Albert Sanchez-Graells to write a report on 'Public Procurement during Emergencies'. The report covers the key principles, legal frameworks and relevant guidance with respect to public procurement by the UK government and devolved administrations, as well as how this may be improved in the future.

The report also examines the controversial issues that arose in the UK’s procurement response to the pandemic, such as the creation of the ‘VIP Lane’ for offers referred by Ministers, MPs and senior officials, or the ‘Ventilator Challenge’ that sought to develop new ventilator prototypes as part of the emergency response.

Professor Sanchez-Graells presented and discussed the key findings of his report as an independent witness during the Inquiry's public hearings on 4 March 2025.

Professor Sanchez-Graells said: "It has been a privilege to be asked to assist the Inquiry in the difficult and controversial investigation of how procurement was conducted at the height of the pandemic.

“Ensuring integrity and value for money in the expenditure of vast amounts of taxpayers' money is my prime motivation to research procurement. This engagement gave me an opportunity to help make a difference.

“I am confident that the Inquiry's future recommendations will set out a clear plan for improvement and review of the UK procurement system. I will do my best to support future efforts to ensure that plan is fully implemented".

The Inquiry’s investigation will form future recommendations to make effective changes in the UK's procurement system, to ensure that the same errors and vulnerabilities do not repeat themselves the next time the UK faces a systemic emergency.

Further information

Professor Albert Sanchez-Graells is Professor of Economic Law at the University of Bristol Law School. He is currently a member of the UK Cabinet Office’s Open Contracting Advisory Group and NHS England’s Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel, as well as a former Member of the European Commission’s Stakeholder Expert Group on Public Procurement.

Albert specialises in EU economic law and, in particular, competition law, public procurement and digital regulation. His most recent monograph Digital Technologies and Public Procurement: Gatekeeping and Experimentation in Digital Public Governance was supported by the British Academy through a prestigious Mid-Career Fellowship in 2022/23. Albert's working papers are available at SSRN and his analysis of current legal developments is published in his blog.

The Centre for Health, Law, and Society (CHLS) promotes cross-disciplinary and cross-sector perspectives on the impacts of law and governance on physical, mental and social wellbeing. Based within the University of Bristol Law School, the CHLS comprises leading scholars whose work focuses on wide-ranging practical areas from within and far beyond health care systems, including clinical medicine, reproductive care, mental health, social care, and public and global health.