HSE told to review policy on €1bn personal protective equipment spend
Minister’s order follows Government concerns that official rules not being adhered to
The Minister told the HSE he wanted it to carry out a ‘thorough audit’ of its systems and controls concerning sourcing, management and usage of personal protective equipment. File photograph: The Irish Times
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has instructed the Health Service Executive to carry out an audit of how it buys, manages and uses personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare staff on which it will spend close to €1 billion this year.
The move follows serious concerns within Government over several months that the HSE was not following official rules governing such expenditure. The Department of Public Expenditure maintained that at one stage earlier this year the HSE had spent about €120 million on PPE over and above the amount sanctioned by the Cabinet.