Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure people with diabetes can continue to access the insulin they need.

We are aware of supply issues with some insulin products, however the vast majority are in stock. Comprehensive management guidance on alternative products has been issued to the National Health Service where needed.

The medicine supply chain is highly regulated, complex, and global. Supply disruption is an issue which affects the United Kingdom, as well as the other countries around the world, and it can have a variety of causes, including manufacturing issues, problems with access to raw ingredients, and sudden spikes in demand.

There is a team within the Department that deals specifically with medicine supply problems. It has well-established tools and processes to manage medicine supply issues, working closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England, and others operating in the supply chain, to help prevent shortages and expedite resupply as soon as possible, to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised.