Photo via Adobe stock.
When the dark spectre of a no-deal Brexit becomes a reality—a possibility that now looks more and more likely—what will you miss most? Will it be the gentle sunshine of Portugal, Spain, or France that was once so easy to escape to? Or perhaps access to life-saving medical supplies? What about all that French wine and cheese that used to be so affordable, but is now only accessible in exchange for organs or drinkable water? Ah, the good old days.Something that may come as a comfort to those living in Wales is that, in the case of a no-deal Brexit, hospitals will be well stocked with baked beans. NHS Wales has revealed that it has a giant warehouse filled with essentials such as baked beans, tinned tomatoes, and sugar, alongside medical supplies such as surgical gloves, needles, and syringes.According to the Metro, the 18,000-square-metre building has been filled with goods from Europe in order to manage the potential blow a no-deal Brexit would have on supply chains to hospitals in Wales. It contains over 22 tonnes of baked beans among the 5,000 pallets of supplies, and is currently 80 percent full. The whole thing has cost around £4 million, and is intended to account for eight weeks’ worth of stock for the entirety of Wales’ hospitals.As reported by ITV, the Welsh health minister, Vaughan Gething confirmed the purchase of the warehouse last month, and said in a statement that it was “vital” that contingency plans were made."These are key products which could be impacted by potential changes to trading relations with the EU, if for example there should be a restricted flow of goods into the UK through border ports,” he told the broadcaster. “It is vital that contingency plans are put in place to limit any possible disruption to healthcare supplies and the significant risk to health and social care in Wales that this could cause.”Well, at least Welsh hospital patients can look forward to a nice fry-up with beans while the rest of the UK burns around them.
Advertisement
