Today (12 September) the NHS Confederation responded to the publication of Operation Yellowhammer, a document describing alarming food and medicine shortages after Brexit
Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said:
“The Yellowhammer report underlines the fact that there are serious risks with a no-deal Brexit, with much uncertainty for patients, NHS staff and UK citizens living in EU countries.
“However, we believe the public should be reassured that very extensive preparations have been made for a no-deal outcome and that we’ve had assurances from government and industry that everything possible has been done to ensure the free flow of medicines and other supplies to the NHS.
“Of course, all this is avoidable if the UK government can agree a deal. At the very least we need the UK government and European Commission to agree a form of ‘mini-deal’ to keep both UK and EU patients safe and to enable essential health care supplies to continue to flow freely until future trade agreements have been agreed.”
The recently released Operation Yellowhammer document is an elaborated version of the same one ‘leaked’ in August. This previous document was dismissed by the Government as a much earlier, now changed, prediction of the shortages to be faced by the public.
Keir Starmer MP, Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary, responding to the release of the Yellowhammer documents, said:
“These documents confirm the severe risks of a No Deal Brexit, which Labour has worked so hard to block.
“It is completely irresponsible for the government to have tried to ignore these stark warnings and prevent the public from seeing the evidence.
“Boris Johnson must now admit that he has been dishonest with the British people about the consequence of a No Deal Brexit. It is also now more important than ever that Parliament is recalled and has the opportunity to scrutinise these documents and take all steps necessary to stop No Deal.”
Read what the original Operation Yellowhammer document said here.
