UK leaves the EU: medtech sector reacts
The UK has voted to leave the European Union. We gauge the reaction from the pharma sector around the world
The Royal College of Surgeons had previously published an article titled What if… we left the EU?
That paper argued that while a vote to leave could provide an opportunity for the UK to create its own, stricter regulations for medical devices, thereby improving patient safety, it also warned that increased costs could lead to manufacturers getting new devices approved in the EU first.
Individuals have already taken to twitter to voice their concerns over the news, and what it means for those working in medical devices.
During the campaign, those backing leave said that money saved as a result of exiting the EU could be ploughed back into the NHS.
Sarah Wollaston, chair of the commons health committee and a former GP, who made headlines when she switched sides in the run-up to the referendum, tweeted to say she would be holding politicians to account over the promise.
The BioIndustry Association responded to the news of Britain’s departure from the EU, warning that the life science sector would be ‘in flux’ as a result of the vote.
BIA CEO Steve Bates said:
“This is not the outcome that the BIA wanted but we accept the views of the UK people.
“The life sciences sector is a resilient community, unfazed by new challenges and staffed by great management teams used to working in a global environment.
“Key questions about the regulation of medicine, access to the single market and talent, intellectual property and the precise nature of the future relationship of the UK with Europe are now upon us.
“This will require detailed and dispassionate thinking and the BIA will make its and its members’ expertise available to the government and its key agencies in the coming weeks and months as we work through these complex issues.
Medical Plastics News editor Lu Rahman echoed the call for closer co-operation:
“Brexit has been described as a ‘messy divorce’ but we have the opportunity to make it as painless as possible.
“Protecting the industries in which we work and continuing to promote the innovation within those markets is crucial to how this process plays out.”