Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s former neighbour, Alex Bourne is the owner of a firm that produces vials for coronavirus tests and is now under investigation by the UK’s medical regulator.
Bourne, an acquaintance of the health secretary and his former neighbour is being investigated over the £30m Covid contract that his firm, Hinpack, had signed to provide the health service with vials for coronavirus tests.
Hinpack had switched from making food cartons to plastic tubes, before signing a contract with the health service during the first wave of the pandemic. Hinpack is now under investigation by the UK’s medical regulator.
Director of devices at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Graeme Tunbridge, commented the investigation by stating that they will continue looking at the allegations against Hinpack and will take action if necessary. The allegations over Hinpack started when the local South Cambridgeshire council reportedly received reports relating to hygiene and safety in the firm.
So far the owner Alex Bourne said he was not aware of any investigation. The Covid contract signed by Hinpack is a multi-million pound contract according to which the firm supplies two million medical grade test tubes a week to the NHS.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock lived close by to Alex Bourne near Cambridge and reports say Bourne had messaged the health secretary last year after asking his number to a mutual friend. Tunbridge confirmed they take the allegations over Hinpack seriously: “We take all reports of non-compliance very seriously. Patient safety is our top priority… As this is an ongoing investigation we are unable to disclose further information at this time.”
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