Covid-19: Government faces legal action over £102m contract for FFP3 masks

The UK government is facing legal action over a £102.6m (€119m; $143m) contract for FFP3 respirators to be worn by healthcare staff treating covid-19 patients, which was granted without competition last July.

The claim is the latest by the Good Law Project to challenge the lawfulness of government action in procuring personal protective equipment (PPE) during the covid-19 pandemic.

The non-profit campaign group has written a letter before action to lawyers for the Department of Health and Social Care for England, asking them to disclose key documents behind the decision to award the contract for Meixin respirators to Pharmaceuticals Direct.

The contract, which was awarded without competitive tender, was not published until 29 March, although the prime minister, Boris Johnson, had told parliament …