An NHS boss has made the extraordinary admission the nation could be on the verge of running out of some medical supplies in just days because of the war between the United States and Iran. Labour had previously announced in 2025 that it was abolishing the body NHS England to "cut bureaucracy" during NHS reforms.

But now the chief executive of NHS England, which is still running, has said he is "really worried" that the nation may run out of medical supplies as the UK currently imports 75% of medications. Sir Jim Mackey said deliveries had been significantly disrupted by the ongoing war in Iran and closure of the vital shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian regime has effectively closed the strait which carries around 20% of the world's oil and gas supplies, which has had a knock-on effect to food, fertilizer and medical supplies.

And Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, warned medicines like blood pressure tablets and painkillers are already suffering shortages because of soaring prices. Last month she told the Daily Express shortages could get worse in the coming months as more manufacturers consider withdrawing their products from the UK due to low prices paid. Dr Hannbeck said the reverse was also true with sudden price surges faced by many stockists, adding: "For example, a pack of Aspirin, which is very commonly used, that was 69p has gone up to over £3 overnight leaving many pharmacies unable to afford buying the usual quantities."

And now speaking to LBC, Sir Jim said “it could be days for some products” before they go out of stock, adding: "We import a lot of medicines, but it’s an international system, the NHS, healthcare. So the supply chain is very, very international.

Reliance on the international model had already seen the NHS suffer a "couple of supply shocks in the last 12 to 18 months" and he said: "We are really worried about this".

Faced with ongoing problems, Sir Jim said a team had been created to “focus on where the risks might be through the supply chains”.

The Independent reports, the Independent Pharmacies Association said the UK was facing a “perfect storm of factors exacerbating medicine shortages”.

Chief executive Dr Leyla Hannbeck said: “The UK pharmacy sector depends heavily on imports, particularly from India and China, and ongoing pressures, from rising energy costs to constrained raw ingredients from the Middle East conflict, are already disrupting supply and risk worsening shortages without decisive action.”

Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “We’re not currently seeing shortages of medicine directly linked to the conflict in the Middle East, but pharmacies are seeing disturbing spikes in prices, which can be an early indicator of challenges.

“The Department of Health has issued unprecedented numbers of price concessions designed to cope with price surges, which are likely exacerbated by this current situation.

“The NHS has driven down the price of medicines over many years, which leaves the UK vulnerable in a global market and contributes to the rising problem of medicine shortages, which are a daily reality for many years for our members.”

Despite Sir Jim's warning, a Government spokesperson said there were "no reported medicine shortages as a result of conflict in the Middle East", adding that the situation was being monitored "closely for any impacts on the medical supply chain".