The HealthSec announces that medicines will be prioritised over food in the event of no deal
No-deal Brexit plans prioritise medicines over food, MPs told https://t.co/1ZNiMb5KqX
— Guardian politics (@GdnPolitics) January 28, 2019
Putting the pressure on ahead of tomorrow’s votes?
Maybe this is all about getting MPs to face up to what no deal really means but the statement by Health Sec Hancock really brings home the potential crisis. That a choice might have to be made between food and medicines is decidedly scary.
This is from the Guardian report of how HealthSec Hancock responded when questioned:
Hancock replied: “Of course medicines will be prioritised. And we have been through detailed, line-by-line analysis of the 12,000 licensed medicines in the UK. In fact we had our latest meeting on it this morning, the three of us were there, in order to ensure there is a plan for the continuity for all medicines in the event of a no-deal Brexit.”
Britain gets far more of its pharmaceuticals from or via the EU compared with its supply of food, said Hancock. About half of all the drugs that the NHS uses are imported from or “have some touchpoint with the EU”, he added.
As someone who has two acute medical conditions that are kept under control by medications I am concerned. No doubt there are many other PBers in similar positions.
Whatever this is ratcheting up the ante ahead of tomorrow’s votes and I don’t find this a coincidence. The more there’s panic over no deal the more individual MPs will focus on how they cast their votes.