A letter from Jonathan Marron, Director General at Department of Health and Social Care, was sent to all adult social care providers on the 29^th October regarding the extension of the Article 50 period to 31 January 2020, available here. The letter outlines the plans regarding the possibility of a No Deal Brexit, and DHSC’s position in working closely with their partners and stakeholders, before further guidance will be shared. A letter has also been prepared on seasonal flu.

The guidance provided by the DHSC on actions for adult social care providers and local authorities to prepare for Brexit – last updated on the 23^rd October 2019, before the agreed extension – is still in effect until further information from the DHSC is available. The new date will require further thought towards the approach to no deal preparations.

DHSC have also issued a statement on medicines after Brexit, which can be read here. The statement outlines the plans for urgent deliveries by additional express freight capacity alongside buffer stocks, additional warehouse capacity and the dedicated National Supply Disruption Response unit to support the health and social care sector. The delivery service proposed will help bring urgent supplies and short life medicines into the country and is just one element of the DHSC’s plans for Brexit, according to Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock.

As members of the Care Provider Alliance, the Association has been asked to share a letter from early October sent to all care providers (via the CQC) with an update on developments following the recent National Audit Office Report and preparing for the Exit on the 31^st October. The letter provides guidance on advance preparations for disruptions, which are still to be followed after the recent extension.

The Scottish Government have published a report on preparations for a ‘no-deal’ EU Exit. The overview document outlines the depth and scope of work underway, suggests what actions the UK Government should take and sets out the challenges Scotland may face. Page 4 of the report has some information of the Scottish Government’s plans to deal with losses incurred by Brexit regarding the health and social care sector.

The Brexit Health Alliance is a valuable resource for the latest news on developments and changes focused on patients, health and the NHS. They are publishing a Brexit Bulletin, which collates news from across the health and care sector. Their latest post, released 01/11/2019 rounds up the weeks news, focusing on the recent extension, and their political analysis of how this impacts the health sector. The Brexit Bulletin is available here, including a subscription page.