UK parliament report reveals threat to medical supplies post-Brexit

An independent parliamentary report has today, September 27, revealed that the UK’s health ministry remains unsure whether the country’s health service can fully withstand the impact of a no-deal Brexit next month.

While the Department of Health and Social Care has done a “great deal of work” to prepare for a potential no-deal, the UK parliament’s National Audit Office (NAO) said there was still a “significant amount” left to do in order to secure the necessary freight capacity for continued supply of medical provisions.

The report examines the efforts of the government to secure continuity of supply to the country’s health and social care networks in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

“In the event of a no-deal exit, the department would be working in a highly uncertain environment and operating all the elements of its plan would be a hugely demanding task,” the NAO concluded.

According to the report, the department still does not have sufficient information about the level of stockpiled medicines and medical supplies ahead of a potential no-deal exit on October 31.

Pharmaceutical companies have also reported a lack of clarity on the future border arrangements post-Brexit.

“Trade bodies operating in the pharmaceutical sector told us, in September, about continuing concerns among their members about the quality of practical information from government on the precise border processes that will operate after 31 October,” the report said.

The department is also unaware as to what proportion of social care providers have followed government advice to put in place “robust contingency plans” for a no-deal Brexit.

As a result, the government does not know “whether suppliers will meet their priority needs,'' the report said.

The provision of social care in England is less centralised than that of healthcare, with 24,000 regulated providers operating in the market.

There also remains uncertainty as to what proportion of additional freight capacity will be secured by the current October 31 deadline.

According to the report, the government’s aim is to have “as much as possible of the freight capacity for priority goods in place by October 31, and all of it by November 30 at the latest”.

The Department of Health and Social Care is also working to put in place its own dedicated courier service which is expected to be ready for testing until October 24, a week before the current Brexit deadline.

The government expects the service will be ready for use by November 1.

Did you enjoy reading this story?  Sign up to our free newsletters and get stories like this sent straight to your inbox.