There’s a bit if a ‘thing’ going on that unless you are affected by it, you probably won’t know about.

In fact there’s more than one thing.

Did you know, for example, data centres could soon be heating your local swimming pool. Yup, it’s working in Exmouth Leisure Centre in Devon.

Yes, there’s loadsa news that doesn’t really make ‘the news’. For example a man in Alabama went to an aquarium shop. Took all his clothes off and jumped in. The police had to fish-him-out…

Here’s something a bit uplifting… a missing dog was found by a thermal-drone. Now, tell the truth... I bet you smiled when you read that.

In 1822, the UK passed the world’s first ever animal welfare law but it seems enthusiasm is waning?

You probably saw inflation is up? Did you know it was attributable to rises in the cost of gig-tickets, smoking and drinking. Not good. Hedonists leading us to ruination!

Here’s another piece of news which is more up our street, so to speak…

… medicine shortages in the UK have doubled in the past two years. 

I’d guess, unless you’re a pharmacist, or someone trying to hunt down something on your prescription, you won’t know about it.

I think we might all know more about it much sooner than later because there doesn’t seem to be a solution and the numpties in charge at the DH+ are in denial.

There was an article about it in last Sunday's edition of the Guardian (I think they call it the Observer, on Sundays), the headline;

NHS medicines shortage putting lives at risk, pharmacists warn.

That seems alarmist enough to excite other news outlets, coverage has been modest. Having said that I have just seen this, in the Mail.

There’s a list of drugs in the article. I doubt it’s definitive.

The report is based on unpublished figures from the British Generic Manufacturers Association…

‘… there were 111 drugs on a shortages list on 30 October last year and 96 on 18 December, with supply notifications issued for a further 10 treatments to NHS providers in the UK since then…

… a 100% increase in shortages compared with January 2022.’

The ‘what’ of this story is self evident. There'll be a lot of to-ing and fro-ing trying to find substitutes. A lot of patients will be worried and probably we will discover, someone somewhere will be going without, with dire consequences.

The ‘why’ of the story is the significant bit. Root-causes. Can’t fix anything until you can get to that.

They start with the war in Ukraine. European supply chains have been disrupted to the point where the EU has started to stockpile drugs… good for them… not good for us... it'll exacerbate shortages.

There’s a bit more to the 'European' dimension of the story. Mark Dayan, the Brexit programme lead at the Nuffield Trust, said;

‘… there was evidence of a drop-off in medical imports from the EU since Brexit… that suggested companies had responded by changing their supply chains, potentially leaving the UK more exposed to supply issues…

… for the UK, this situation has been exacerbated by pressures on drug prices from 2016, probably associated with the Brexit referendum pulling down the value of sterling.’

Add to that the skirmishes in the Red Sea.

Shipping is being diverted, ‘the long way round’… and...

... India being the largest producer of vaccines and the largest manufacturer and exporter, by volume, of generic drugs...

... and you don’t have to have a masters in economic geography and international trade to see our problems are far from over.

BY the way the US have problems - this is worth a look at. If it doesn't spook you, nothing will!

In terms of root-cause, there's not a lot the NHS can do. The Secretary of State for Health is unable to settle the dispute with the junior doctors so I doubt she could manage a punch-up with the Houthis.

HMG seem to be worried. Yesterday, they launched a UK critical imports and supply chains strategy.

On top of all that, there’s…

… a complex UK formula that effectively ‘taxes’ branded manufacturers and that has increased from 5% in 2021, to 15% in ’22 to 26.5% of their net income from sales in 2023…

… some products become loss making.

In global terms, England is a small market, importing is more complex than it was when we were in the EU and it's easy for manufacturers to walk away.

The numpties in charge of health? When the Guardian asked for comment the DH+ said ‘they didn’t recognise the figures…’  

Well, that’s alright then.