With the UK general election on the horizon, what are the implications for pharma and life sciences?
Houses of Parliament
Brexit was covered in depth during a Healthcare Disparities event I attended in Manchester earlier this year. Though the supply of devices and medicines should be unaffected beyond 31 January 2020, there is the question of what happens if the government fails to negotiate a trade deal in time for the end of next year? What happens to cross-border contracts in that event?
Labour has said it would renegotiate a deal and put it to another referendum, its Brexit is more likely to be softer – meaning less custom hassle with the aim of a minimum disruption to the supply chain. There has often been repeated lines from Labour leadership of a ‘customs union’ meaning the supply of medical devices and medicines would have minimal disruption. Think of it more like the Norwegian European Economic Area model if you want a direct comparison.