U.K. will face drug shortages if there is no Brexit transition deal, government documents say

Leaving the European Union without a transition deal, or a “no-deal Brexit,” could mean food shortages and severe delays in getting drugs to the U.K., according to new leaked documents procured by The Sunday Times. Experts have predicted these scenarios, but government officials have often dismissed them as scaremongering tactics. Leaked documents from the U.K. Cabinet Office warn that 85% of trucks transporting essential medicines may not be ready for French customs in time for the current deadline for a deal of Oct. 31. About three-quarters of all drugs coming into the U.K. come through a crucial crossing in France, and a no-deal Brexit could cause delays that could stretch for days or months. The Times also reported that officials foresee elements of the food supply chain being affected that would then cause shortages.