Radioisotopes: Procurement

(asked on 22nd October 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the supply of radioactive isotopes and radioactive sources for cancer services after 31 December.


Answered by
Lord Bethell Portrait
Lord Bethell
This question was answered on 2nd November 2020

Our priority is to ensure that patients continue to have access to the medical products they need, including medical radioisotopes. We continue to work closely with industry, the National Health Service and others in the supply chain to deliver the shared goal of continuity of safe patient care by mitigating any potential disruption to supply into the United Kingdom of medical products at the end of the transition period

As set out in a letter from the Department to industry of 3 August, we are implementing a multi-layered approach, that involves asking suppliers of medicines and medical products, including medical radioisotopes to the UK from or via the European Union to get trader ready, reroute their supply chains away from any potential disruption and stockpiling to a target level of six weeks on UK soil where this is possible.

We understand that a flexible approach to preparedness may be required for medicines that cannot be stockpiled, such as some medical radioisotopes. We have asked suppliers of those products to use airfreight, which some suppliers are already doing now.

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