Orthopaedics: Medical Equipment
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to help resolve the shortage of bone cement in the NHS.
Answered by Dr Zubir Ahmed
The Department is working closely with NHS England, professional bodies and industry partners and have implemented a range of measures to resolve the shortage of bone cement.
The National Health Service has secured stock of an alternative bone cement product, which is now in the United Kingdom for onward distribution. There is sufficient supply to confidently resume elective procedures, and further deliveries are planned in the coming weeks.
The NHS also issued immediate guidance to hospitals to ensure that trauma and urgent care could continue safely.
We will keep our horizon-scanning processes under review and work specifically to identify future potential risks and safeguard continuity of future bone cement supplies.
The Department has held regular discussions with NHS England on the supply position, operational impact, and plans to secure alternative products, including through established incident coordination structures.
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