Brexit news latest: Health chiefs grilled over risk of no-deal medicine shortage

Pharmacies say supplies running low for every type of major drug
The Commons public accounts committee is particularly concerned about the timing of ferry contracts to ship emergency supplies and the vulnerability of care homes
PA

Health and transport chiefs were being grilled today by MPs over the risk of medicine and equipment shortages caused by Britain crashing out of the EU at the end of the month.

The Commons public accounts committee is particularly concerned about the timing of ferry contracts to ship emergency supplies to the UK and the vulnerability of thousands of care homes.

Committee chairwoman Meg Hillier stressed that 80 per cent of the 24,000 care homes in the UK are single homes.

“This idea that they are all ready if there is a shortage of medical equipment is just not realistic,” she said.

Ms Hillier also warned over letting ferry contracts as late as October 12 to bring in medical supplies just a few weeks later.

“This is very little time and allows no room for error,” she added. “Even the Department (of Health) acknowledges it won’t all be in place by October 31.”

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The committee was this afternoon demanding answers from Sir Chris Wormald, permanent secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care; Professor Keith Willett, EU exit strategic commander and medical director for acute care and emergency preparedness, NHS England; and Bernadette Kelly, permanent secretary at the Department for Transport.

Ms Hillier’s warnings came as pharmacists are already experiencing shortages of every major type of medicine, including hormone replacement therapy, anti-depressants and anti-epilepsy pills, according to a poll. Blood pressure drugs, contraceptives, painkillers and skin creams are also in short supply.

The 402 community pharmacists who responded to the Chemist and Druggist poll said HRT drugs were most commonly in short supply, with 84 per cent struggling to get hold of them.

Two-thirds of pharmacy staff saw shortages of contraceptives, and 58 per cent experienced supply issues of anti-epileptic drugs, with others struggling to get hold of drugs for Parkinson’s disease.

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Respondents also reported difficulties in explaining medicine supply issues to “angry and desperate” patients.

One said: “The pharmacist is spending less time with patients, as they can’t keep up with the increased workload presented by the shortages.

“Our job role has changed into ‘medicines sourcing’, rather than advising.”

Experts have blamed numerous issues for the shortages, including manufacturing and supply problems, and the discontinuation of some brands driving up demand for others.

The Department of Health and Social Care said there is no evidence the ongoing problems were due to Brexit.

It added that occasionally the NHS experiences temporary shortages of specific medicines and most shortages are because of problems in production.

Earlier this year, health group NHS Providers said hospitals across England were experiencing medicine shortages because of “stockpiling and price pressure as the Brexit deadline approaches”.

Dr Farah Jameel, from the British Medical Association, said: “There are lots of different reasons why drug shortages happen, but they are gradually getting worse.”