Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on the availability of technetium and krypton generators for nuclear medicine procedures in hospitals.

Our number one priority is for patients to continue to have access to medicines, including medical radioisotopes such as krypton and technetium, whatever the European Union exit outcome, and we have robust contingency plans in place.

Leaving the EU with a deal remains the Government’s top priority. However, as a responsible Government we must plan for every possible outcome including ‘no deal’. The Department has published guidance to industry and the health and care system to allow them to make informed plans and preparations. This is available on GOV.UK.

The Department has worked with the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that planes are contracted to bring in medical radioisotopes under the appropriate specialist conditions and suppliers are working closely with the National Health Service to minimise any potential impact of changes to delivery times.

We are confident that if everyone does what they need to do, the supply of medicines and other medical products, including medical radioisotopes, will be uninterrupted.