Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of warehousing requirements for NHS suppliers if frictionless trade with the EU is not maintained following Brexit.

Patient safety is paramount in our exit negotiations and maintaining continuity of supply of medical products is a key part of ensuring patients continue to receive the safe high-quality care they need on day one of the exit from the European Union exit and thereafter.

The Department is working closely with cross Government agencies to ensure that there is no disruption to the supply of medical products following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU, regardless of the terms of the withdrawal.

This includes enhancing existing supply chain resilience, scoping out alternative sources of supply and providing means to access critical medical devices at short notice. Warehousing requirements for centrally held stock of medical devices for the National Health Service is continuously reviewed against demand patterns and forecasts which incorporate consideration of external factors, such as exiting the EU, and is integral to contingency planning. Medicines suppliers will be taking a similar approach to their stocks.