Insulin: Imports

(asked on 30th September 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what measures are in place to support the import of insulin from Denmark (Nova Nordisk) and Germany (Sanofi) in the event of the UK leaving the EU (a) with and (b) without a deal.


Answered by
Edward Argar Portrait
Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
This question was answered on 3rd October 2019

In the event that the UK leaves the EU with a negotiated deal, the Department’s assessment is that during the Implementation Period agreed with the EU, market access to medicines and medical devices won’t change for industry or the NHS.

We are working closely with partners across the health and care system and industry, to take all appropriate steps to prepare for leaving the European Union. Our robust plans and multi layered approach should help ensure the supply of medicines and medical products, including insulin, remains uninterrupted if we leave without a deal.

On 26 June, we wrote to suppliers of medicines to the United Kingdom from or via the EU or European Economic Area setting out our continuing multi-layered approach to support continuity of supply of medicines and medical products.

For commercial reasons, the Government will not be releasing details of contingency plans for individual medicines. We continue to work with individual suppliers directly to assure ourselves of their contingency plans. However, as an example of the preparations being taken by industry, insulin manufacturer Novo Nordisk recently publicly stated that they have 18 weeks' worth of supplies in the UK and had secured alternative ferry capacity to renew supplies.

Further details can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/medicines-and-medical-products-supply-government-updates-no-deal-brexit-plans

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