DORSET'S emergency no-deal Brexit healthcare plan will kick in three days before the UK is destined to leave the EU.

The NHS body responsible for overseeing the county's healthcare will be holding two emergency meetings seven days a week for five weeks from Monday October 28 if the UK 'crashes out'.

The Dorset CCG Brexit plan says the body will be recruiting a raft of people to manage the anticipated 'crisis', including loggists to record vital information, EU Exit Liaison officers, and strategic data collectors.

It is also putting in place a contingency for an eight-person Incident Co-Ordination Centre.

The government has ordered all CCGs to form Local Resilience Forums - normally used for emergency management - and liaison officers have been told to expect to work from a number of locations.

"Dependent upon the level of disruption caused by EU Exit, liaison officers should be prepared to work from the following locations; Dorset Police Headquarters, Winfrith NHS Dorset CCG, Incident Coordination Centre, Dorchester and provide assistance remotely (normal base of duty or working from home)," said the plan.

However, the CCG's chief officer, Tim Goodson, said the organisation was not recruiting any new people for these roles.

"We anticipate we will require between 16 and 20 existing staff to carry out additional logging and liaison roles for a short period of time; this will be alongside their existing roles," he said. "Therefore, the time commitment and financial impact on the CCG is minimal."

Regarding the supply of drugs and medical necessities, he said patients should: "Continue to order their medicines in the normal way. There is national guidance and advice to the public on issues such as continuity of supply for medicines on the NHS England website https://www.england.nhs.uk/eu-exit/medicines/."

NHS Executive Officers were contacted by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care via letter regarding the supply of medication on August 23. The letter explains that:

“Robust plans are now in place to protect patient safety and healthcare provision.”

The letter also set out a scheme for “sufficient and seamless supply of medication” and stresses that:

“Hospitals, GPs and community pharmacies throughout the UK do not need to take steps to stockpile additional medicines”.

Further national guidance issued on September 23, includes assurances that arrangements have been made for a national six-week buffer stock, to support a business as normal supply chain, at the point the UK leaves the EU. "Provision of short shelf life medication will be sustained via dedicated NHS Express Freight Services," said the guidance.