Monday 4 November 2024
 10.7°C   SW Light Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Health / No guarantees on patient care post Brexit

THE CHIEF Executive of NHS Shetland has said he can give no assurance patient care will be unaffected post-Brexit.

Ralph Roberts said that the local health board has been lobbying Holyrood and Westminster to the effect that Shetland is at the end of a long supply chain and especially vulnerable to shortages.

NHS Shetland chief executive Ralph Roberts. Photo: Shetland News

His comments came in response to questions from Integration Joint Board vice chairman Allison Duncan whether insulin and other vital drugs could be in short supply following a hard Brexit.

Roberts said: “I cannot give you the assurance that there will be no impact on patient care as a result of Brexit.”

He said that the government had advised NHS Shetland and health boards across the country not to stockpile medicines, as this will exacerbate shortages.

Roberts said that there was no hard information on a rise in costs of medicines but that the factors involved in a rise were “multi-faceted” and not just as a result of Brexit uncertainty.

He said that NHS Shetland was largely tied to national procurement routes and that the work to ensure medical supplies remain uninterrupted was being undertaken at higher level.

Chief finance officer Karl Williamson said that if the price of medicines was to increase significantly then the government would need to step in an support that increase.

Service users representative Maggie Gemmill asked for assurance that medicines would be stored correctly following an error in 2017 that saw vaccines being stored at the wrong temperature, leading to a re-vaccination programme in the isles.

This received an emphatic affirmative from Roberts.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.