'Communication issue': UK missed EU ventilator programme

Britain's failure to join a European Union procurement program for ventilators to treat those ill with coronavirus was due to a communications issue, Business Secretary Alok Sharma said.

The email mix up meant that the United Kingdom did not receive an invitation to join the EU procurement process, a British government spokesman said.

"There was an issue in terms of communications so the tendering process on those schemes had already started," Sharma told BBC radio. "If there are future schemes we will absolutely look to see whether we should be joining them."