The island has stocked up on some medicines ahead of Brexit but has been asked not to stockpile some medical devices and consumables.

The information was released when Health and Social Minister David Ashford respondedeto a written question from Lawrie Hooper MHK (Ramsey, Lib Vannin) about the department’s preperations for Brexit.

Mr Hooper asked: ’What specific contingency plans are in place in relation to the supply of medicines and medicinal supplies and apparatus in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal?’

He asked the Minister to make a statement ’with reference to the assessed potential impact of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on this issue’. And he asked what specific actions his department had undertaken in planning for this eventuality.

Mr Ashford said the DHSC is ’in regular and direct communication with various government departments’ in the UK and has been taking advice and instruction with regard to supply lines for medicines, medical devices and clinical consumables.

Clinical consumables include equipment such as syringes, needles, catheters, medical gloves, gowns, masks and other devices and tools used within a hospital.

He said: ’To prepare for the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal the department has built in some resilience to its stock levels of medicines at Noble’s Hospital, though there are some drugs which cannot be stored or ordered in advance.’

The Minister said the DHSC had been asked not to stockpile medical devices or consumables, adding: ’The department has been advised that contingency arrangements are being implemented that will provide a "significant level of supply resilience for a full range of medical devices and clinical consumables".

’The department has received assurances that these arrangements include supply to Isle of Man hospitals; therefore at this time the department is not stockpiling.’

It is estimated any rise in delivery times would be up to three days.

Mr Ashford said: ’Due to our normal sailing cancellation contingency current stock levels are considered to be robust enough to cope with such an increase.’

He added: ’The supply of medicines to community pharmacies is directly from wholesale dealers in England, and the UK government has instructed these groups to stockpile medicines where possible to protect supplies. As well as building reserve stocks of supplies and medicines, the UK government has secured additional warehouse capacity and plans to reroute supplies away from the potentially blocked southern ports.

’Additionally, an express freight service to deliver emergency medicines into the UK will be in place in time for exit.’

Mr Ashford noted the DHSC is part of the impact group which comprises a number of advisors to determine and monitor the immediate impact of the Brexit determination by the UK government.