Senior doctors have written a letter to the prime minster calling for ”urgent clarification” of plans to supply cancer treatments in the event of a no-deal Brexit, BBC Newsnight has learned. The doctors say a “dry run” of emergency deliveries earlier this year revealed problems in the system.
Radioisotopes are radioactive atoms that can be used against cancer and are a key component of some types of scan. They decay and become unstable very rapidly and therefore the supply chains operate on very tight schedules. About one million patients in the UK receive medical radioisotopes for diagnosis or therapy each year. It is not possible to stockpile supplies in advance of a no deal, as as planned for some other medicines.
The Department of Health said “action is being taken to safeguard supplies”.
Full story on BBC, 1 August 2019