A £45million PPE deal between the government and a company based in Shenley has seemingly collapsed as none of the purchased medical equipment has been supplied.
The Department of Health and Social Care made a deal to buy five million medical masks from suppliers, Purple Surgical, in April, paying £5million upfront.
The FFP3 respirator masks were meant to be supplied by mid-May, but the company has still not been able to give the government their goods.
Purple Surgical, based in Farm Close, has now filed papers alleging fraud by its own supplier, the Win Billion Investment Group, a company in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).
Purple Surgical’s chief executive, Robert Sharpe, has been quoted by The Guardian saying that they still intend to fulfil the DHSC’s order, but would repay the full value of the contract if unable to do so.
He added: “We are deeply distressed by the suspected fraud that has been committed against Purple Surgical and, by extension, the NHS.”
The Shenley company has previously signed deals worth almost £250m with the DHSC.
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