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The UK has not been participating in an EU scheme to get more ventilators during the Coronavirus outbreak because of a “communication issue”, it emerged on Thursday, contradicting an earlier message that non-cooperation was because "we are no longer members of the EU".
Earlier in the day opposition MPs had criticised the government for not joining forces with EU countries to get more of the devices, which are used to help people breathe by getting more oxygen into their lungs.
Under the EU's "joint procurement agreement", countries in the bloc will work together to get medical supplies and stockpile equipment.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday that the UK would not participate because "we are no longer members of the EU".
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said the government was putting "Brexit over breathing".
The UK left the EU on January 31 but is still following almost all EU rules and regulations as part of a “transition period”.
Later in the day, the line changed, with the government blaming communications rather than Brexit.
“Owing to an initial communication problem, the UK did not receive an invitation in time to join in four joint procurements in response to the coronavirus pandemic,” a spokesman for the prime minister said on Thursday.
Most people who contract the coronavirus have mild symptoms but a significant minority, especially among the elderly and those with underlying health problems, develop respiratory difficulties which can be fatal.
“As those four initial procurement schemes had already gone out to tender, we were unable to take part in these but we will consider participating in future procurement schemes on the basis of public health requirements at the time," the prime minister's spokesperson said
The news emerged during the UK government’s daily press conference, as ITV Political Editor Robert Peston tweeted the statement while Chancellor Rishi Sunak was announcing measures to financially help people who are self-employed.
Rather amazingly, we are not in EU ventilator scheme because government didn’t get or didn’t see relevant emails.