Health chiefs in Bath & North East Somerset are urging people not to stockpile medicines ahead of Brexit.

Clinical Commissioning Group leaders also revealed that they are in regular contact with NHS England and with suppliers and providers to understand what impact a no-deal Brexit could have. Speaking at last Wednesday’s Health and Wellbeing Select Committee meeting, Cllr Eleanor Jackson said: “I’m starting to stockpile. What sort of contingency plans do you have in getting supplies to people of their medicine?”

Dr Orpen said: “What we need is calmness from people. I would caution not to stockpile. That creates the problem.”

A spokesman from Department of Health and Social Care said in a statement after the meeting: “We are working closely with pharmaceutical companies to ensure patients can continue to receive the medicines they need, including asking many of them to ensure a minimum of six weeks’ additional supply of medicine, over and above usual buffer stocks, in place by 29th March.

“Patients should not stockpile – we are confident that, if everyone does what they should do, the supply of medicines will be uninterrupted in the event of a no-deal.”

Dr Orpen told the meeting that extensive planning was taking place within the CCG ahead of Brexit, and he was assured it is doing everything it reasonably can.

Caroline Holmes, the Acting Director of Integrated Commissioning for the Council and CCG, said the two bodies had been asked by the Department of Health to understand the implications of a no-deal Brexit.

She said: “We contacted all our local providers to understand from them how a no-deal Brexit might affect their staffing levels; in particular, whether they have EU nationals and whether they will return to their home countries.

“We are doing a lot of analysis. We’re also looking at medicine suppliers. The results are coming back to us, so we can make plans before 29th March.”