Patient groups unite to highlight Brexit concerns

Patients’ organisations from the UK and across Europe have written a joint letter urging Brexit negotiators to prioritise patients’ safety and access to treatment in the second phase of talks.

The letter to EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and UK state secretary for exiting the EU David Davis, from heads of 11 organisations, warns of the risk of drugs getting stuck at borders and delays to patients’ access to new treatments if collaborative research were to be curtailed and regulatory systems diverge.1

The letter, sent ahead of a European Council meeting on 22 March, sets out four priorities:

• Close cooperation in regulation of drugs and medical devices

• A trade agreement that protects the supply of drugs and medical devices

• Continuing partnership on medical research, and …