Trust COO: Delays in import have not been raised and would be "awfully surprising"

A potential no-deal Brexit is very unlikely to interrupt the supply of coronavirus vaccines from Belgium into Shropshire’s main health trust, a senior boss has said.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust Chief Operating Officer Nigel Lee said the possibility of import interruptions or delays had not been raised in any meetings with national-level emergency planners, he would be “awfully surprised” if they occurred.

But he promised the trust’s board he would ask specifically about the supply chain in an upcoming meeting with NHS England Emergency Planning chief Keith Willett.

The UK left the European Union on January 31 this year and an 11-month transition period is due to expire on New Year’s Eve. Negotiations between the government and the EU about a future trade deal are ongoing.

Developed by American company Pfizer and German partner BioNTech, “BNT162b2” is the first Covid-19 vaccine to be approved for use in the UK.

Doses are being manufactured at Pfizer’s site in Puurs, near Antwerp, and distributed among NHS organisations including SaTH, who run the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital.

SaTH non-executive director Trevor Purt asked Mr Lee: “With it looking ever more likely there will be no deal [between the UK and EU], and with the vaccines for Covid coming in from Belgium, are we hearing anything about whether that may or may not be a problem when we get into January?”

Both Mr Lee and Workforce Director Rhia Boyode told Prof Purt they had not heard any warnings about the supply.

“We’ve got another national webinar with Prof Willett, who covers both Covid and the EU Exit, but I’ve not heard of any challenge,” Mr Lee said.

“I think, whilst there is a lot of ongoing challenges with the trade deal, I think I’d be awfully surprised if there was as well. But I will ask the question.”

Mr Lee’s “Operational Report”, prepared ahead of the meeting, said: “Negotiations with the EU are continuing and the UK is committed to securing a free trade agreement.

“Failure to reach an agreement, which now looks more and more likely, will result in the health sector facing significant adjustment to prepare for the end of the year.”

He adds that stockpiling of medicines “is prohibited as a national rule”, under threat of confiscation.

SaTH employs “approximately 230 staff from the EU”, representing approximately three per cent of the workforce.

“There are some concerns given that staff who fall into this category are specialist staff”, he writes, but adds that “there has been no dramatic movement of staff leaving the trust”.