BIA reaction to Chancellor's announcement on no deal funding

A BIA spokesperson said: "The announced £434 million for medicines and medical products is significant investment, and recognition of the work of DHSC in this area, however we now need the detail of how the money will be spent.

 

"Will the Government now be procuring ferries and not “options” for ferries?  BIA has stressed before that having freight capacity for medicines and medical devices in place on 1 November is fundamentally important for the continued supply of medicines to NHS patients in the case of a ‘no deal’ Brexit.  Routes also need to be known in advance of 1 November as medicines supply chains are regulated to ensure that the medicines that patients receive are safe.  The route a medicine takes into the UK is not something that can be adjusted along the way - many products are temperature-controlled, and some deliveries can’t exceed three days or deviate from approved storage conditions and some products have a short shelf life.

 

"In June 2019 Government wrote to industry with a new ask around “trader readiness”.  A ‘no deal’ Brexit means that companies, both in the UK and EU27, will encounter extra administrative burden and red-tape to be able to continue to do business.  It is essential that Government provides life sciences sector specific trader readiness support for UK companies, especially smaller companies.  Our sector has already endured considerable disruption, duplication and uncertainty, and invested significant time, effort and resource with little government support.  They also need to ensure that they provide information for business in the EU27 so they can continue trading with UK companies.

 

"As we have said before, we should be under no illusions that ensuring UK medicines supply in a ‘no deal’ Brexit will be easy or smooth, but with patients at the end of the supply chains, companies will continue to be as prepared as possible for a scenario they really do not want.

 

For more information please contact Jack Fellows on [email protected] or 07825942934