Border Force prioritising checks on medical equipment

To make sure medical equipment reaches the NHS frontline quicker, the government has said that Border Force will be prioritising checks on their shipments.

The new process ensures critical shipments are flagged to Border Force in advance by the NHS so that officers can stand ready to process them as soon as possible. Border Force officers then process the shipments quickly, whilst continuing to conduct thorough security checks.

The process has been in place since the beginning of April, with Border Force working closely with suppliers, the NHS and HMRC to ensure all relevant shipments are flagged. All shipments remain subject to the same controls including checks against illegal immigration, prohibited and restricted items and revenue fraud.

This follows the Treasury announcing that it is waiving import taxes on medical equipment crucial to the fight against coronavirus – reducing red tape to ensure equipment gets to frontline health workers faster.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “I will do whatever necessary to help the national effort to tackle this virus, that is why Border Force are prioritising medical equipment so that it can enter the UK as soon as possible. This will ensure that the NHS and frontline workers can get the equipment they need as quickly as possible so they can continue saving lives and fighting the virus.”