‘Sunlit uplands of Brexit mean we can’t get medication we desperately need’ – deputy council leader

This is according to the town’s deputy council leader and portfolio holder for adult social care, Coun Kevin Cunliffe.

He told a council meeting that the shortage in the NHS of more than 120 drugs is preventing effective treatment of breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, epilepsy, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and schizophrenia in the town.

His comments came as his colleague Coun Yvonne Klieve successfully proposed a motion asking the council’s chief executive to write to the secretary of state for health and the chief executive of the NHS and Government to “step in” to stabilise the UK medicines supply chain “as a matter of urgency”.

“We further request that a full strategic review of medicines supply in England be undertaken to alleviate this critical situation for our citizens, pharmacies, and the communities they serve,” she said.

Coun Cunliffe told the meeting: “[The required medicines} are just not in the country, so people can’t get them.”

He said that lives were at risk if type 2 diabetes and breast cancer are left untreated.

“[Without the necessary medication] for diabetes it can lead to heart and liver problems and even a stroke. People suffering from this may even lose their lives,” he said.

“Breast cancer is a real issue. If women can’t get the drugs they need, it can leadto a resurgence of the disease.

“One of the main reasons for this is that we are now in the sunlit uplands of Brexit.”

He attributed this to the fall in the value of the pound and new border controls and ‘things that need to be done to get medications into the country’ thus discouraging people from importing drugs.

Coun Cunliffe went on: “The EU recognises that there is an international problem and they are stockpiling drugs that they know are in high demand.

“Although we have regained control and we have our sovereignty, it’s working against us for people getting drugs that they need.

“Really what we need is the chief executive of the NHS to make sure that we can get supply chains working.

“We need to have a real strategic review of how we sustain the supply of drugs and medication into the country.

“People are probably even dying as a result of not being able to get the medication they need. We need to get it done.”

Coun Klieve added: “Every single one of us [in the council chamber] knows someone who is being affected by this day to day.”

It has been widely reported that there particular problems for Britain in the supply of medicines because of rising costs post-Brexit.

In January, the Department of Health and Social Care informed doctors and pharmacists that there would be delays in the supply of Tegretol – or carbamazepine – a 200mg prolonged-release tablet for the treatment of epileptic seizures.

It said the use of low-risk therapeutic alternatives, unlicensed imports or alternative strengths or formulations were the ways to proceed.

Medical professionals were also told the supply of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, used by people with type 2 diabetes, would be ‘problematic’ throughout 2024.

And warnings were issued that a tablet used by cancer patients to treat high levels of calcium of the blood would not be available until late March.