When the Covid-19 pandemic hit 18 months ago, the health service was found to have minimal stocks of PPE, face masks, gloves and other equipment.

It was also found that much of this was supplied from China and the Far East with very little manufactured in Britain.

At the time there was a massive scramble to obtain these items and a lot of people pitched in and started making these items for the health service and the local care homes.

Now 18 months on, what is the situation? We do not hear of any shortages, but have we learned anything? Are the massive stocks that have been built up being run down again and is it all being supplied from the far East again on a just in time basis? Is any of this essential resource now being supplied by British manufacturers?

If Covid-19 or some part of the pandemic was to flair up in another 18 months, would we have the same crisis that we had last time?

Has the lesson really been learned?

Michael Albin