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<p>The Government remains committed to leaving the European Union with a deal. However,
as a responsible Government, we must plan for every eventuality, including no deal.</p><p>We
have been working closely with partners across the health and care system and industry
to ensure the continued health and safety of patients, including ensuring supplies
of medicines and medical products, and securing the future of our EU health and care
workforce.</p><p>The Department has published EU Exit operational readiness guidance
for the health and care system in England outlining actions that providers and commissioners
of health and social care services should take to prepare for, and manage, the risks
of a no deal exit scenario.</p><p>We continue to monitor and analyse overall staffing
levels across the National Health Service and adult social care, and we are working
across Government to ensure there will continue to be sufficient staff to deliver
the high-quality services on which the public relies following the UK’s exit from
the EU.</p><p>The UK has an outstanding track record for research into rheumatoid
arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. The Government invests over £1 billion
in health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). This
provides direct funding for health research and clinical trials and also the skills,
facilities and infrastructure to undertake clinical trials in the health and care
service funded by public, charity and industry funders.</p><p>In 2017/18, the NIHR
provided £11.7 million funding for research on the inflammatory and immune system
(this includes rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue diseases, autoimmune diseases,
allergies and normal development and function of the immune system, as per the UK
Clinical Research Collaboration Health Research Classification System, of which £1.2
million was for research on rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, the NIHR Clinical Research
Network provides the support to deliver research by public, charity and industry funders
in the health and care system.</p><p>The UK and the EU have a long record of jointly
tackling global challenges, with strong existing links already in place between our
research and innovation communities, and we want to continue this important collaboration
in science, research and innovation, including in pioneering medical research for
rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.</p><p>As a responsible Government,
we are continuing to prepare for all scenarios. In the event that the UK leaves the
EU without a deal at the end of this extension period, the Government has confirmed
that the funding commitments made under the guarantee and the extension still stand.
Through these commitments, the Government will underwrite funding for all successful
competitive eligible UK bids to Horizon 2020 that are submitted before the end of
the Programme. This guarantee will apply for the lifetime of projects and will provide
funding for UK participation in pioneering Horizon 2020 medical research projects
can continue.</p><p> </p>
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