Southend Brexit report slammed for 'astonishing' lack of detail on how town will cope

While doctors are being told not to write extended prescriptions or stockpile medicine, a report by Southend Council has been criticised for providing little detail on the potential impact.

Labour councillor Matt Dent described the council report as “the closest I’ve ever seen to a shrug”.

The report states there are “ongoing conversations with neighbouring local authorities” and senior managers are “being briefed on potential implications as information becomes available”, but without more detail.

Councillor Dent said: “On a certain level, no one knows how Brexit will go, but this is a lack of engagement with it. This report doesn’t think through what could happen, it simply says we are monitoring this and Government says this.

“Other local authorities run through all possible options of what could happen and explain the impact on council services. I was astonished at how light on details this seemed.”

This is in contrast to other councils such as Cambridge, Kent, Dover and Bristol that have produced detailed threat analyses that break down all the impacts on their frontline services, as well as estimating the cost of reducing the problems.

The report by Cambridge County Council warns the city could face medicine shortages, community tensions, fuel shortages and proposes the creation of a Brexit task force.

Council leader John Lamb said: “It was always intended for this to be a summary, but makes it clear that there is much work going on at all levels of the council, and partnership work is taking place across Essex on this important issue.

“We are a member of the Essex Resilience Forum, which consists of all local authorities in the county, as well as emergency services, including Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, Essex Police and mid and south Essex CCGs.

“Through this forum we are taking a county-wide approach to Brexit that addresses all implications and scenarios through detailed and senior conversations with our partners.”

Healthcare providers across the county are being advised not to stockpile medicine or write longer prescriptions in the event of a “no deal” Brexit.

The Government has sent a series of guidelines to NHS clinical commissioning groups.

The guidance states: “It should be noted that Government departments have been working to design customs and other control arrangements at the UK border to ensure goods, including medical supplies, can continue to flow into the UK without being delayed by additional controls and checks.

“However, the EU Commission has made clear that, in a ‘no deal’ exit, it will impose full third country controls on people and goods entering the EU from the UK.”

A UK-wide contingency plan is being developed to ensure that medical supplies continue to flow into the country.

This is being done through direct contact between the Government and all pharmaceutical companies that supply the UK.

Those companies have been asked to provide an additional six weeks of stock by the time the UK leaves the EU on March 29 and to prepare to “air freight” medicines with a short shelf life.

The guidance adds: “UK health providers – including hospitals, care homes, GPs and community pharmacies – should not stockpile additional medicines beyond their business as usual stock levels.

“There is also no need for clinicians to write longer NHS prescriptions and the public should be discouraged from stockpiling.”

The healthcare workforce is expected to be heavily impacted by Brexit and Essex County Council has already warned the number of EU workers transferring to Essex has dropped by 90 per cent following the referendum. Meanwhile Mr Lamb has insisted more work will be done by Southend Council. He added: “I would stress as Brexit draws closer we are reviewing requirements including potential disruption of transport, fuel, supplies and labour. We are putting the necessary measures in place, so that come March 29, the impact on council services is minimised.”