A recent shortage of diabetic equipment has reminded me how scary post-Brexit supply issues could be

Leaving the EU could still come back to bite us later in the year – let's hope not

Brexit could yet lead to problems with supply chains (PA)

Abbott's FreeStyle Libre has been enthusiastically adopted by thousands of people with type 1 diabetes and no wonder.

It allows users to monitor their blood sugar levels without having to stab at their fingers, courtesy of a sensor placed on the upper arm. This can be scanned as and when. It produces graphs. Users credit it with improved control, and good control is crucial to those of us who live with the condition.

The word “revolutionary” is often used in connection with the kit. But It’s now producing a big headache. The machine’s American maker Abbott has been hit with what it describes as “temporary delays in fulfilling orders” of the all important sensors. As a result, users have struggled to secure supplies.

The webshop has been closed to new customers. Again, this is said to be temporary. Shipments are being “expedited” in an effort to get pharmacies restocked “as quickly as we can to reduce wait times”. Abbott says it is “sorry for the impact this is having on customers”.

That won’t be much comfort to those customers who have been left in a jam. It’s hard to describe just how scary it is to be faced with losing your ability to monitor your blood sugar through not having the necessary equipment to hand.

For a start, it’s a legal requirement to do so before driving, and a lot of people have to drive for their work. Worse still are the health consequences of having your blood glucose bouncing up and down like a yo-yo. It feels horrible. Libre users can, of course, revert to finger pricking and they have been advised to do so. So no worries. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

Erm, no. No it isn't easy. Those with any sort of health condition will be only too aware of just how destabilising it can be to suddenly face having to change your treatment regime. It’s particularly difficult, in this case, for type 1 who struggle with control and have found the Libre improves. To be honest, everyone with the condition will have struggled with control at some point.

The rapturous reception to the Abbott’s results on Wall Street - where it’s been something of darling - earlier this month must now leave a bitter taste in the mouths of its British diabetic customers. Ditto the airy corporate rhetoric about “creating solutions that help people live their best lives”.

You can’t very easily do that if poor supply chain management prevents you from accessing the “solutions” you’ve come to rely upon.

Is that the cause of this? Who knows. The statement I received was notably light on detail.

Diabetes UK says it has raised concerns with the company but it hasn't been able to get any more information than I have. My statement said the NHS was being kept informed. If it has more information then perhaps it might consider sharing. But really, the onus should be on Abbott.

I know from writing about business that big companies are often dreadful communicators.

Given the importance of their products, those operating in the healthcare sector have a responsibility to do better. Abbott take note.

In the meantime, there’s a sting in the tale to this story.

Consider, if you will, the consequences of multiple failures of supply like this. That’s still a real, and very scary, possibility after the UK’s departure from the EU. Officially, it’s at the weekend. But the fun is just beginning. A trade deal has still to be fixed up and Boris Johnson and his Tories have stomped their childish little feet by insisting that the transition, under which the UK will remain a member of the single market and customs union, won’t be extended past the end of the year.

Brexit has become something of a sleeping tiger. The government hardly mentions it. Johnson would like you to believe that he’s got it done. He has not. If he doesn’t “get it done” when it comes to trade, it’s not just Libre users who may have to contend with supply disruptions. It’s all diabetics using insulin. It’s type 2 diabetics who use other drugs and just about anyone else with a health issue that requires imported treatments.

There’s every chance of the tiger roaring again before the end of the year and its bite could be worse still for those of us stuck, by dint of our medical histories, waiting for help.