Brexit survey highlights level of contingency planning

The Association of British HealthTech Industries has highlighted the significant contingency planning that is underway within the HealthTech sector.

The ABHI’s latest member Brexit survey, which questioned members on Brexit’s impact on business activity, found that 80 per cent of companies have stepped up preparations for a different market environment, with more than half of companies set to make fundamental commercial decisions before March 2019, planning for aspects such as location, warehousing and regulatory support.

The ABHI also reveal that Brexit will see 20 per cent of companies adjust their schedules of product releases, while over 50 per cent will be looking to change their current supply chain arrangements.

Members of the ABHI were also asked of their single biggest business challenge at present, with Brexit in second place (25 per cent), behind doing business with the NHS (35 per cent). The result is consistent with ABHI’s January 2018 business survey of its members, which found the cost of serving the NHS to be the biggest barrier to the adoption of innovation.

Peter Ellingworth, chief executive of ABHI said: “The UK health technology industry is committed to protecting patient access and this survey shows the types of decisions companies will take in order to continue to do so. Going into the final phases of negotiations, industry is calling on all sides to ensure a deal is made as soon as possible, to help avoid detrimental changes that could affect both UK and EU patients.”