High Court Orders Michelle Mone-Linked Firm to Repay £122m for Faulty Covid PPE

The UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is suing PPE Medpro, a company linked to Conservative peer Michelle Mone and led by her husband Doug Barrowman, for breaching a government contract by supplying 25 million surgical gowns that were allegedly faulty and not sterile. The DHSC is seeking to recover £122 million paid for the gowns, plus an additional £8.6 million for transportation and storage costs. Government lawyers argue the gowns lacked required sterility assurance and appropriate certification, which prevented their use in the NHS and posed serious safety risks. PPE Medpro denies breaching the contract and claims it has been unfairly singled out, asserting the gowns met the necessary sterility standards agreed upon prior to contract award. The case centers on technical compliance with industry standards for sterile gowns, with Baroness Mone's involvement noted during contract negotiations but not considered relevant to the legal issues. The trial reflects scrutiny over government pandemic contracts and the role of political connections in awarding them.