What isn’t produced in Britain that we need to stockpile?

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

So, worst case scenario and we crash out with no deal as everyone seems keen to catastrophise, what would be useful to stock up on that isn’t produced here and would have to be imported. Any ideas?

Would this work?

Every time I pick up my medication from the chemist, go back and say - it was a week short - could I have the rest please? Make sure you get a different person each time, obviously.

@Undercoverbanana - I used to need prescription meds. It's what I did. Nothing major.
When I stopped needing them I handed them all back like a good citizen. They seemed surprised I even bothered.

Well, if anyone is still interested, I have spoken to a GP at my local surgery. I had a phone appointment about my repeat prescription and added the following question.

Me: Lots of people are concerned about medication becoming unavailable after Brexit. What plans are in place to ensure that prescriptions can be fulfilled and should we be doing anything to stockpile?

GP: Hahahaha.

Me: Oh I’m surprised you think it’s amusing. I would have thought this would be quite a concern for you, the surgery and the NHS as a whole.

GP: Hahahaha. Well ........ Hahahaha.

Me: What is the process for avoiding shortfalls or failure of supply, please? It really won’t be funny if it happens. I’m not talking about myself necessarily, but people for whom their medication ensures their safety and their very lives.

GP: Well we’re not going to worry about something that hasn’t happened.

Me: But by then it will be too late. Are you saying that there has been no discussion or concern about this within the surgery or within the NHS, to your knowledge? No plan? No emergency procedure?

GP: Errrrrm. No. Hahahaha.

Me: So for concerned patients who want to protect themselves, what advice can you offer please?

GP: Errrrrrm. Well none. If there is a problem with your medication you will be informed at the time.

Me: Informed of what? That’s too late for people whose medication keeps them alive. Are you really telling me that there is no thought being given to this?

GP: Hahahaha.

And so it went on .......

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love the NHS but this dude was either politically detached from reality or a Brexiteer who doesn’t care about others. I find the later hard to believe given he works in the NHS tbh.

We’re on our own folks.

Read like nervous laughter to me. Speak to the practice manager - maybe not so up themselves.

See another GP.

I think GP surgeries are unlikely to want to discuss preparations with the general public.

In order to avoid looting (from criminals wanting to get supplies to sell on the black market), they would want people to think they don’t have a stockpile.

I imagine if they do have a plan, it will be tightly controlled who they tell. Vulnerable patients - at the time, if needed - would be visited with a prescription and told to keep schtum.

All official pronouncements will come from central NHS.

I don’t work in a GP surgery but that is what I would do if I did.

The plan is 'there is no plan'. There is absolutely no point asking a GP how they are going to tackle a medication shortage due to a 'Hard Brexit' when it is clearly obvious those at the top of the NHS, the Health Secretary, the PM, etc. don't have a clue what is going on.

In the absense of an official plan, it will end up being a case of 'every man for himself'. Those who have concerns are taking action to ensure personal supplies and are stockpiling by stealth at this stage.

I don’t think your average jobbing GP has any clue what’s going on, and is far too busy coping with a stretched system already. Bet they don’t even want to think about brexit shortages, so have buried their heads in the sand.

It is pharmacists job to hold information on medicines shortages and communicate them to GPs. Maybe ask your pharmacist what are standard procedures for medicines shortages, which do already happen, just not for everyone at once.

Interesting segment on You & Yours (Radio 4) today on Brexit and the impact on fresh food. It looks like lorries are goi g to be stuck in the ports for 3 days rather than the current one hour, which will have a huge impact on perishable goods. The Eurosports are investing in the new infrastructure but the U.K. ports are not.

FFS. This country is fecking useless.

Surely @VanillaSugar that's unpatriotic hysteria right there !
Sorry, everyone, that's not helpful of me but after many many many posts of being helpful (tried to be), I feel a big childish "told you so" coming on.
And breathe .....

Can I just say, I only read this because it came up in my active feed. It’s a really helpful thread and I just wanted to say thank you for making me think about preparing for Brexit. Not panic, but of course, now I think about it it is likely to cause problems and I should be prepared. This is even more reason for me to get my garden well prepared over the winter for food growing next year.

We don’t want to panic anyone @batteriesallgone but the more people we can encourage to put a little by, the better. That’s just one more person who won’t have to venture out and join in the sky-is-falling, panic-buying brigade.

PS if the batteries are gone, you may want to stock up on some more

Hahaha. Nah that just my stock response to the kids pleadingly holding up a ‘broken’ toy - oh sorry darling, the batteries are all gone....

My DH works in the import/export business and he says that Calais are building new refrigerated holding bays so the lorries can stack up there without the cheese getting too ripe.

The ports are not responsible for the customs checks, that's down to the government. The main responsibility for amending the infrastructure lies with the carriers,ie P&O, DHL etc. The ports can build new refrigerated holding bays but that's about it.

For basic medication, I got a box of Tesco own brand 96 Ibuprofen at their pharmacy. They're allowed to sell much bigger boxes than on the shop floor. Same for Calpol and Nurofen.

I'm so glad I found this thread as there's loads of ideas on here I wouldn't have thought of (teabags!!!).

Teabags??? Really???

My daughter could die without her medication. As could many other people. What sort of fucked up idea is this Brexit thing with no plan in place BEFORE the referendum so all the right-wing people knew what they were actually voting for?

@Undercoverbanana I'm truly sorry you are in such a wretched position. My aim in posting a lot on these sorts of threads has been to encourage people who can to get some stuff put by so that, frankly, they get the hell out of the way of emergency services etc in the event of a crash out of the EU . So that the emergency services can look after people who really need it, if they have to.
I hope all this no deal talk is just blarney and bullshit.
For what it's worth, I voted Remain to avoid all this crap. I wish there was a way we didn't have to do this. If we have to, I wish it to be a storm in a tea cup and people like me have egg on their face.

I'm asthmatic, do I NEED to be trying to stockpile inhalers??

I hate Brexit and my DD is beside herself as she loves Europe and I'm so glad we have not had the arguments that have occurred on other threads.

I think the referendum was an idea to shut The Farage up but it backfired as no one in the government actually thought it would happen.

And here we are. Looking at stockpiling teabags.

IDid you hear Anna Soubery say that Jacob Rees Mogg is basically running the country? God help us all.

@slapmyassandcallmejudy I'm asthmatic too, I'm going to buy a few extra salbutamol inhalers, just to be safe. Superdrug online sell them, you just have to answer a few questions first. Will probably try and get a few extra preventers too, maybe put in my repeat prescriptions a week early every time.

Thankfully my diabetes is diet controlled, although that makes stockpiling food I'm allowed a bit difficult.

has this been shared?
www.theguardian.com/politics/shortcuts/2018/jul/12/a-no-deal-brexit-survival-guide-what-food-to-stockpile

actually i got baked beans and bottles of water back in 1999, why? i shan't bother stockpiling.

@Slartybartfast - I did a thread about it recently to see what other preppers thought.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/preppers/3304345-a-very-guardian-look-at-prepping-but-some-interesting-ideas

Looking for tips on how to store goods in a cellar that may be damp/have rodents? Any good ideas for pasta / flour etc to save them being spoiled? Do I need a big metal dustbin?