Patients with serious medical conditions have spoken of their fear that a no-deal Brexit would leave them without vital medication.
Writer Jennie Kermode, 45, from Paisley, has mixed connective tissue disease with elements of lupus, scleroderma and polymyositis – a condition that means her immune system attacks her skin, muscles and kidneys.
She told the Press Association: ‘I’ve lost so much muscle that I can no longer walk, but I’m not now losing more at a significant rate, and my kidneys are stable.
‘This is thanks to a drug called tacrolimus which is manufactured in Turkey.
‘Unfortunately, due to production issues, tacrolimus is already in short supply in the UK so there’s no pre-Brexit NHS stockpile.
‘If I can’t get it, there’s a chance that I’ll be able to successfully transfer to another immunosuppressant, if that’s available, but doing so will be risky and all the others in existence will make me much more sick than the tacrolimus does.’
Jennie Kermode, from Paisley in Scotland, relies on medication made in Turkey which is already in short supply, and fears Brexit could make this worse. Ms Kermode said she could ‘probably last one to two weeks without my medication’
‘I can probably last one to two weeks without my medication before my kidneys fail,’ Ms Kermode said.
She added: ‘I’ve spoken to my consultant rheumatologist who said: “Don’t worry, somebody will think of something”.
‘I wasn’t very reassured by that. I’m not aware of anybody working on any remotely practical solution.’
Kieron Smith, 38, from Northumberland, takes medication to control his epilepsy.
He said he has spoken to his pharmacist ‘on a number of occasions’, but believes ‘the uncertainty is already tangible’.
‘Unfortunately they are as in the dark as the general public,’ he claimed.
‘Even they have no idea what the deal is, despite chasing for info themselves.’
He said the medication ‘allows me to live a normal, unrestricted life free from both grand mal and petit mal seizures’.
‘I have a full-time job and a young family and the ability to function without the shadow of epilepsy is critical in maintaining these things.
‘There are many more serious cases than mine I’m sure, but the difference in my life without the ability to fill my prescription would be profound, my work and family life would become untenable.’