Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to Clinical Commissioning Groups on the provision of medicines in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal; and what the responsibility is of Clinical Commissioning Groups ensure adequate supplies of medicines in that event.

The Department’s contingency plans aim to ensure that the supply of medicines to patients is not disrupted in all European Union exit scenarios, including in the event we exit the EU without a deal. We are confident that, if everyone does what they need to do, the supply of medicines will be uninterrupted in the event of exiting the EU without a deal.

The Department is working closely with trade bodies, product suppliers, the health and care system in England, the devolved administrations and Crown Dependencies, to make detailed plans to ensure the continuation of the supply of medicines to the whole of the United Kingdom in the event of a no deal EU exit.

On 23 August 2018, the Department sent a letter to all healthcare providers to advise of our ‘no deal’ EU exit medicines supply contingency plans. That letter highlighted the need for maintaining existing practices and that hospitals, general practitioners and community pharmacies throughout the UK do not need to take any steps to stockpile additional medicines, beyond their business as usual buffer stocks.

A letter from Dr Keith Ridge CBE, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer at NHS England, outlining the steps taken thus far to protect the continuity of supply for medicines was then sent out NHS services, including clinical commissioning groups, on 17 January 2019.

More recently, on 4 February 2019, a further letter was sent out by Professor Keith Willett, EU Exit Strategic Commander and Medical Director for Acute Care and Emergency Preparedness, to clinical commissioning groups and trust Chief Executives reiterating the Department’s messaging and outlining the operational response that NHS England and NHS Improvement are undertaking at a national and regional level in preparation for a ‘no deal’ EU exit. This latest letter also includes links to previous correspondence and operational guidance.