As the Prime Minister warned the country to brace for the possibility of a ‘no deal’ Brexit as negotiations once again hit a stumbling block in Brussels, the Chief Executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has urged both parties to continue talks for the benefit of UK patients.
Warning a ‘no deal’ scenario was not in the best interests of patients, the pharmaceutical industry or the economies of the UK and European Union, Richard Torbett was firm in his calls for both sides to remain fully-invested in striking an agreement.
Mr Torbett said: “As long as a window of opportunity remains, negotiators must keep talking and agree a comprehensive deal.
“They must ensure medicines supplies are uninterrupted and that a way forward for patients in Northern Ireland is urgently found.
"Our members are preparing for the end of the transition period at the same time as coronavirus cases rise across Europe. This should be enough to focus minds.”
Boris Johnson has indicated negotiations between the UK and the EU on the country’s post-Brexit relationship were set to still continue, despite his warning of a potential ‘no deal’ outcome.
The EU’s chief negotiator was due to arrive in London this week for further negotiations with his UK counterpart Lord David Frost, but these planned talks are now said to have been put on hold – though with phone conversations reportedly scheduled later in the week.
It is believed the UK is looking for significant compromise from the EU on a number of issues on which both sides have been at loggerheads over for some time, in order for talks to resume at the same pace they were prior to the Prime Minister’s statement.
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