HOSPITAL bosses say they are as ready as they can be for Brexit.
Those who oversee the running of South Warwickshire Foundation Trust – which includes Warwick, Leamington, Stratford and Shipston hospitals – say local healthcare services are prepared for Britain leaving the European Union.
But the trust said plans were in place and a special Brexit-focused group of staff from across the organisation had been made responsible for ensuring it was ready for the UK’s exit.
Preparation has included supporting European staff to apply for the settlement scheme and attending national workshops on being prepared.
The group – which consistently monitors an EU exit email inbox for related correspondence – says its main focus is on medicine and workforce.
At the time of going to press the Brexit deadline of October 31 hung in the balance after MPs voted to back prime minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal but rejected his timetable for it.
The European Union was deliberating whether to grant an extension to Article 50, and if so for how long.
But the trust says it feels ready for whenever the UK leaves the EU.
A spokesman said: “We have a group dedicated to ensuring the trust is fully prepared for the UK’s exit from the European Union.
“Being prepared means we are considering a wide range of issues however we know our two key areas of focus need to be on medicines and workforce.
“The trust has a comprehensive recruitment and retention strategy to deal with a number of challenges including the EU exit to ensure we are as well staffed as possible to ensure our patients are safe and well cared for.
“We have actively engaged with staff who are originally from EU countries to reassure them that they are valued members of our workforce and supported them to apply for the EU settlement scheme.”
And the trust says it is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care on a range of other potential issues.
The spokesman added: “The Department of Health and Social Care has been working closely with the NHS, trade associations, wholesalers, pharmaceutical companies, suppliers of medical devices and many others, to ensure medicines and medical products continue to be available in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
“There are detailed plans in place including using different transport routes, stockpiling medicines nationally, and securing extra warehouse space.”
