To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure that there is a secure medicine supply for hospitals in (a) England and (b) Sheffield in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

On 23 August 2018, the Department wrote to a number of pharmaceutical companies that supply the United Kingdom with medicines from, or via, the European Union/European Economic Area, asking them to ensure they have a minimum of six weeks’ additional supply in the United Kingdom, over and above their business as usual operational buffer stocks, by 29 March 2019 in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Since writing to pharmaceutical companies, we have received good engagement from the industry who share our aims in ensuring continuity of medicines supply is maintained for patients across the UK. The Department continues to work closely with these companies to ensure that their UK stockpiles of medicines are sufficient to cope with any potential delays at the border that may arise in the short term in a no-deal Brexit scenario.