UK sits out on the EU's joint procurement of medical equipment

Despite the UK being party to the EU Joint Procurement Agreement on medical countermeasures, it seems that it had sat out the recent round of procedures launched earlier in the month to deal with the shortage of medical equipment arising from the COVID-19 crisis. Despite calls to join in, it has now been confirmed that the UK is not taking part:

The UK is not participating in EU procurement schemes to buy ventilators, protective gear for hospital staff or coronavirus testing kit. Confirmed by UK and EU sources.March 24, 2020

Maybe the EU wasn’t keen on calling the effort ‘Operation Last Gasp’…