Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Russian Ministry of Defense: 37 Ukrainian drones destroyed in 4 hours over regions of Russia and the Black Sea.
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.

UK struck by medicine shortages in NHS

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Guardian
  • 15 Jan 2024 09:56
4 Min Read

The United Kingdom is being battered by medicines shortages caused by numerous issues ranging from the Ukraine war to Brexit ramifications.

  • x
  • In this July 10, 2018 file photo, bottles of medications ride on a belt at a mail-in pharmacy warehouse in Florence, New Jersey (AP)
    In this July 10, 2018 file photo, bottles of medications ride on a belt at a mail-in pharmacy warehouse in Florence, New Jersey. (AP)

Patients in the United Kingdom are grappling with a new battle for healthcare as a medicine shortage sweeps the National Health Service (NHS), with the number of medicines in short supply doubling in two years, as per The Guardian.

Pharmacists report that vital treatments for conditions like epilepsy, cancer, schizophrenia, and diabetes are highly affected by the crisis attributed to paramount inflation and devaluation of the British pound since Brexit, which hinders the government's ability to import goods. 

This unprecedented situation leaves countless patients in limbo, forced to endure delays, anxiety, and even potential health deterioration amidst the struggle to access essential medications, the British media outlet said.

Breast Cancer Now chief executive Delyth Morgan paints a grim picture, detailing patient accounts of difficulties sourcing hormone treatments like letrozole, anastrozole, and tamoxifen. "Tracking down a treatment... is an added burden for patients at an already difficult time," she says.

Patients, pharmacists to fend for themselves

Douglas Twenefour, head of care at Diabetes UK, echoes the concerns, lamenting the impact on type 2 diabetics struggling to access GLP-1 medications. "These shortages will likely last for at least the rest of this year," he warns, which would leave many up against the ropes with inadequate treatment options.

Another issue exacerbating the scarcity of drugs is Downing Street's policy of taxing drug manufacturers, which is further draining supply, creating disincentives for companies to invest in the UK market. Other factors include supply chain disruptions and the Ukraine war, The Guardian said.

Related News

Nigel Farage advisor sparks controversy over WWII, colonialist comment

UK, EU reset post-Brexit relations with defense and trade pact

Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, paints a dire picture of pharmacies inundated with the fallout. "Pharmacies are having to spend... an extra 11 hours a week tracking down medicines," she reveals.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) claims it's working to mitigate the shortages, citing established procedures and close collaboration with industry and the NHS. However, pharmacists like Morrison argue that price concessions, while a temporary fix, are merely a symptom of a much deeper issue.

"They show the system is responding, but they are a symptom of the squeeze that brings disruptions and shortages," she emphasizes.

Inadequate health policy

The UK has long been embroiled in issues surrounding its inadequate health policy, with a study conducted by the Institute of Health Equity at University College London unveiling a staggering toll of over a million premature deaths taking place in England over the course of a decade.

The research, titled Health Inequalities, Lives Cut Short, attributes this alarming figure to a combination of poverty, austerity measures, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between 2011 and 2019, 1,062,334 individuals died earlier than they would have if they were living in areas where the richest 10% of the population did. Additionally, the study reported 151,615 premature deaths in 2020, with a notable spike attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professor Peter Goldblatt, the study's author, directly linked 148,000 deaths to austerity measures implemented since 2010, comparing them to earlier levels. The findings underscore the stark economic and social inequalities leading to premature deaths, primarily from cancer, heart problems, and other diseases affecting the most vulnerable populations.

NHS left to fall apart

This comes as England's public health provider faces mounting crises, induced by a lack of government funding, culminating in low wages, a lack of equipment, and worsening services.

In September 2023, data revealed that approximately two million patients and 43,000 NHS staff are facing risks due to deteriorating concrete conditions in hospital buildings, The Telegraph reported.

According to information from the Liberal Democrats, seven hospitals, including four with widespread issues of crumbling reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), cater to a total of 1.94 million people in various communities. Among the hospital staff are 5,000 doctors, 11,500 nurses, and midwives, all working in environments that NHS leaders labeled as posing "a major risk to patient and staff safety."

  • Brexit
  • NHS
  • Cancer
  • United Kingdom
  • Ukraine
  • Diabetes
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS