Geopolitical Disruption in the Middle East
There is no material change to the current situation; however, NHS Supply Chain continues to work closely with suppliers to protect product availability and maintain continuity of supply amid ongoing geopolitical disruption in the Middle East.
As the situation remains dynamic, our focus continues to be on safeguarding patient care and service delivery through early insight, targeted supplier engagement and strengthened risk controls.
Current situation
The evolving situation in the Middle East continues to present a potential risk of disruption for suppliers with facilities or dependencies in the region (for example, specific commodities). There also remains a cost risk, both directly through core commodity pricing and indirectly through impacts on related components and materials.
Actions taken to date
A coordinated, proactive and intelligence-led response remains in place across our supply chain, resilience and category teams.
Key actions include:
Targeted supplier engagement
- Supply chain intelligence continues to inform a focused review of suppliers with upstream exposure to the Middle East.
- Identified suppliers are being engaged directly, with ongoing assurances sought regarding continuity plans, logistics routes and any emerging constraints.
Cyber risk assurance
- Risk analytics are being used to monitor suppliers with elevated cyber-risk profiles.
- Engagement with these suppliers is ongoing to confirm appropriate cyber protection measures are in place and to ensure there is no risk to NHS systems or supply continuity.
Horizon scanning and early warning
- Teams continue to carry out horizon scanning to identify early indicators of disruption, including transport route instability and cyber threat activity.
- Insights are shared across operational teams to support rapid decision-making and prioritisation.
Commodity forecasting and stock management
- Commodity-level forecasting continues to identify products of potential concern and anticipate possible shortages.
- Where appropriate, stockholding has been increased to strengthen resilience and maintain continuity of supply.
Ongoing position
We continue to work closely with suppliers and system partners to ensure a coordinated and effective response. Our priority remains ensuring a continuous supply to the NHS and protecting patient care.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely, work proactively with suppliers, and provide further updates if there are any material changes.
This article was first published in early April and has been updated. There is no material change to report at this time.