The UK could be days away from running out of some medical supplies as a result of disruption caused by the war in Iran, the head of NHS England has said.
Chief executive Sir Jim Mackey said he was “really worried” about the supply of medicines, given that the UK imports 75 per cent of its medication.
Deliveries have been significantly affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the ongoing disruption to global shipping.
Speaking on LBC radio, Sir Jim said: “We are really worried about this. We’ve already had a couple of supply shocks in the last 12 to 18 months [relating to] key supplies.”
Sir Jim said that while some items are at risk of running out within weeks, “it could be days for some products”.
“We import a lot of medicines, but it’s an international system, the NHS, healthcare. So the supply chain is very, very international,” he added.
“Because things perish, and it costs money to store and, you know, various other things go out of use. You can’t hold years and years of supply. So generally, depending on the product, you keep a reasonable period. And there’s some of that held centrally, and locally, people will be making decisions.”
He said a team had been created to “focus on where the risks might be through the supply chains”.
On Monday, the Independent Pharmacies Association said the UK was facing a “perfect storm of factors exacerbating medicine shortages”.
Chief executive Dr Leyla Hannbeck said: “The UK pharmacy sector depends heavily on imports, particularly from India and China, and ongoing pressures, from rising energy costs to constrained raw ingredients from the Middle East conflict, are already disrupting supply and risk worsening shortages without decisive action.”
Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “We’re not currently seeing shortages of medicine directly linked to the conflict in the Middle East, but pharmacies are seeing disturbing spikes in prices, which can be an early indicator of challenges.
“The Department of Health has issued unprecedented numbers of price concessions designed to cope with price surges, which are likely exacerbated by this current situation.
“The NHS has driven down the price of medicines over many years, which leaves the UK vulnerable in a global market and contributes to the rising problem of medicine shortages, which are a daily reality for many years for our members.”
A government spokesperson said on Monday: “There are currently no reported medicine shortages as a result of conflict in the Middle East. We continue to monitor the situation closely for any impacts on the medical supply chain.
“The department actively monitors emerging threats to supply resilience, and has established processes in place to manage disruption across the health and social care sector.”
Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has sparked an energy crisis worldwide, with industry leaders warning of potential fuel shortages in the UK. Around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the strait, and has essentially been trapped in the Gulf.
The International Monetary Fund warned on Monday that the UK was facing one of the largest shocks from the conflict, saying Britain’s economy is “especially exposed” to spiralling because it relies on gas‑fired power.
Food prices in the UK have also increased as a result of disruptions to shipments of fertiliser from the Middle East, prompting fears of widespread food shortages.
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