HOPSITAL bosses are expected to look again at what impact Brexit may have on local NHS services.

The subject was raised as part of a wider discussion on future risks during a meeting of the East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust board on Tuesday.

During the meeting Barry Nealon, a non-executive director who sits on the trust’s board, asked for more details of what preparations the trust had made following reports that drugs prices could rise after the UK leaves the European Union.

Mr Nealon said: “Coming in this morning, on the radio I was listening to the Brexit conversations about the NHS and the question of whether we should be stockpiling [drugs].

“Is it a practical matter we need to be thinking about in the next few months, whether we have sufficient access to drugs?

“They were talking about it as a national issue, but I wondered if

locally whether we should be giving any thought to it.”

In reply, the trust’s chief executive Dr Adrian Bull said: “I don’t think we would be looking at

any kind of stockpiling locally.

“The NHS nationally will want to assure itself that there is a continued availability and supply of medicines and

other things on a national basis.

“I think if every trust started to stockpile medicines locally then that would cause its own problems.”

Board members also heard that the trust has not conducted a formal evaluation of what impacts Brexit may have on its services.

Following the discussion it was agreed concerns around  the potential for drugs price rises would be raised with the trust’s chief pharmacist

in an effort to find out more.

Dr Bull also said he intended to bring the matter to the attention of other organisations which form the Sussex and East Surrey Sustainability and Transformation Partnership at its next meeting.