Minister for Health Simon Harris TD yesterday (Tuesday) hosted the third key Brexit stakeholder event at the Department of Health for representatives from the pharmaceutical and medtech industries, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, the Irish Pharmaceutical Union, the Hospital Pharmacists Association of Ireland and the Irish Medication Safety Network.
The Minister for Health, the Secretary General of the Department of Health, the HPRA, and the HSE provided detailed updates on Brexit planning at Government level. Industry and representative groups gave updates on their preparedness for Brexit, and any issues they are facing.
Speaking at the event, Minister Harris said
I know that a significant amount of work and investment has already been made by the medicines and medical device industry in preparing for Brexit and I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge that work and to thank you, and the members of your organisations, for the huge efforts that you have made to prepare for life after Brexit.
As Minister for Health, my priorities in planning for Brexit are to ensure the protection of public health, continuity in the provision of health services and to avoid or mitigate changes that would have a negative impact for patients.
Brexit means change, as outlined in July’s Contingency Action Plan Update which outlines the extensive work taking place across Government, but throughout our preparations, Irish patients have been our highest priority, and ensuring their continued access to effective and appropriate treatments is the key focus of all our efforts.
Secretary General Jim Breslin said
I want to emphasise for industry the the importance of making contact with Revenue and taking all necessary preparatory steps to make certain you are ready to trade after Brexit. Suppliers of medicines and medical devices should continue to review their supply chain for products that travel from or through the UK to ensure its effectiveness post - Brexit and communicate any issues to the HPRA or the HSE. I would like to again assure you that the Government, the Department and its agencies are open to discuss any issues you may be facing and will provide any assistance we can to resolve difficulties arising for you because of Brexit.
It was agreed that the positive engagement between the Department, agencies and industry would continue as Government prepares for Brexit.
The Irish and British Governments have committed to the shared objective of maintaining the CTA arrangements, under which Irish citizens and British citizens who live in, work in, or visit the other state have the right to access healthcare there. Provision has been made to ensure the arrangements necessary to maintain health service cooperation for the period after a no deal Brexit. These include the maintenance of current arrangements for access to routine, planned and emergency health services for UK/Irish citizens and visitors in the other jurisdiction. It also includes health cooperation on access to specialist health services in the other jurisdiction including, for example, continued access to specialist paediatric cardiology services on an all island basis and access to specialist cancer services.
As part of the whole of Government response to Brexit, including through our work with the EU, the Department of Health is working to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated set of preparations to ensure continuity of health services post-Brexit. The Withdrawal of the UK from the EU (Consequential Provisions) Act 2019 has a specific part on healthcare (Part 2 – Arrangements in relation to health Services). This Provides for legislative mechanisms to enable essential Common Travel Area healthcare arrangements to be maintained between Ireland and the UK which, if required, will allow the Minster for Health to make Orders and Regulations to enable necessary healthcare arrangements to be maintained between Ireland and the UK in a no-deal scenario.