Published: 26 February 2019

In response to the further details on no-deal Brexit contingency plans for medicines supply announced by the Department of Health and Social Care, Aisling Burnand MBE, Chief Executive of AMRC said:

“We are relieved that at last further details on medicines supply in the event of a no-deal Brexit have been published. This will go some way to reassure those worried about continued access to the drugs and treatments they so desperately need that robust plans are in place should the UK leave the EU without a deal. Medicines and medical supplies are to be prioritised in planned extra shipping capacity between the EU and UK putting patients in the place of priority they deserve to hold. Industry stockpiling will provide a second layer of risk mitigation.

“We are reassured that patients receiving experimental treatments as part of innovative clinical trials can now be more certain that the trials will continue. We are told that products for these trials will be prioritised in shipping and that government have been working with UK clinical trials sponsors to map and minimise the potential impact.

“But, even with these plans in place, government should be under no illusions of the consequences for patients if we leave the EU without a deal. No one should have their health put at risk because of the UK’s decision to leave the EU; this must be the case from day one of the new relationship.

“We recognise the enormous effort that has gone into making these plans as robust as possible, but we continue to hope that they do not need to be rolled out. Patients deserve better than a no-deal Brexit."