Welsh NHS Confederation response: Medicines and Medical Devices Bill - Legislative Consent Memorandum
Contact:	EU Transition Programme Support Officer, the Welsh NHS Confederation
Date:	03 September 2020

1. The Welsh NHS Confederation is the only national membership body which represents all the organisations that make up the NHS in Wales: the seven Local Health Boards, three NHS Trusts and Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW). This short response to the Legislative Consent Memorandum (LCM) on the Medicines and Medical Devices Bill (the Bill) represents the views of our members.

2. As part of the EU Transition Fund, received from the Welsh Government, the Welsh NHS Confederation has continued to support members throughout the process of the UK leaving the EU. Some of the ways the programme supports members includes:

· Providing regular communication on relevant developments.

· Advocating for member’s views at a Wales and UK level through active participation in forums such as the Brexit Health Alliance and the Cavendish Coalition.

· An active member of the Welsh Government Health and Social Services Leadership Group as well as the Senior Responsible Officer Group and Minitrial Advisory Group. These groups have representations from all Health Boards and Trusts as well as Health Education and Improvement Wales, NHS Wales Shared Service Partnership, NHS Wales Informatic Services and other partners to prepare of the end of the Transition Period.  

· The development of a range of policy briefings and events on topics relating the leaving the EU, including a Toolkit detailing preparations in place if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, which included details on the management of medicines and medical devices https://www.nhsconfed.org/resources/2019/07/brexit-preparedness-toolkit-for-the-welsh-nhs.

3. Based on feedback from our members and ongoing conversations, our members feel they have been well sighted on the implications of the Bill. Some readiness mechanisms at an individual organisation level includes the re-establishment of a Medical Devices Committee, of which the programme of work has been agreed to respond to the requirements of the Bill.  

4. Other preparedness procedures include the establishment of an all-Wales group working across Health Boards and Trusts, led by the Chief Scientific Officer. The establishment of a register of all medical devices in use is a major aspect of this group, and NHS organisations continue to work with Welsh Government to prioritise this with other work programmes.

5. Our members have not expressed any problems with establishing a database of information in relation to medical devices.