PPE Medpro has been ordered to repay nearly £122 million to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) after a High Court judge ruled today that the company breached its contract to supply sterile surgical gowns during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a verdict that marks the end of one of the most high-profile civil cases to emerge from the government’s pandemic-era procurement efforts, Mrs Justice Cockerill ruled that the gowns delivered by PPE Medpro did not meet the required standards and were in breach of contract.
The company must pay £121,999,219 in damages to the DHSC by 16:00 on 15 October 2025.
Judge: Gowns failed validated sterilisation requirements
Delivering her summary judgment, Justice Cockerill said the gowns failed to comply with a “validated sterilisation process”, as explicitly required under the contract. While PPE Medpro had accepted this requirement during contractual negotiations, the gowns it supplied lacked the appropriate Notified Body numbers mandated under EU legislation for Class I sterile medical devices.
“PPE Medpro breached the contract,” the judge concluded, citing the absence of sufficient sterilisation certification and technical compliance.
The ruling will come as a major blow to PPE Medpro and its high-profile backers — businessman Doug Barrowman and his wife Baroness Michelle Mone — who have long maintained that the company fulfilled its obligations and was being politically scapegoated.
The case centred on a £122 million contract awarded at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. PPE Medpro had offered to supply 25 million sterile surgical gowns, which the DHSC later deemed non-compliant and unsuitable for NHS use.
As Business Matters previously reported, PPE Medpro offered multiple no-fault settlement options, including a full gown remake and a £23 million cash payment, both of which were rejected by the DHSC .
During the trial, PPE Medpro argued that the gowns were sterile when delivered and that any contamination occurred during storage and transportation, while under the government’s control. But the court ultimately found in favour of the DHSC.
The case has been mired in political controversy, largely due to PPE Medpro’s connections to Baroness Mone. Just days before the ruling, Michelle Mone accused Chancellor Rachel Reeves of fuelling a “government vendetta” against her after a reported remark at the Labour Party Conference.
“This litigation is a clear case of buyer’s remorse,” Mone said previously, accusing the government of using the courts to deflect from wider PPE procurement failures.
Today’s verdict adds further legal and reputational pressure to the couple, as well as their wider business interests.
The court’s ruling obliges PPE Medpro to pay the full claim amount by mid-October. Whether the company — or its financial backers — will be able or willing to meet that obligation remains to be seen.
Legal analysts suggest further appeals or enforcement actions may yet follow, particularly if the company is unable to raise the sum. Meanwhile, the outcome may set a precedent for future legal action against other pandemic-era suppliers.
Justice Cockerill’s full written judgment, not the press summary, remains the authoritative legal document. It is expected to be scrutinised closely in the coming days by lawyers, political observers, and other PPE suppliers with contracts under similar scrutiny.
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PPE Medpro ordered to repay £122m after high court rules gowns breached contract
