Responding to the Crisis in Ukraine
Topic : Type : Briefing
The HealthTech industry is deeply saddened by the unfolding crisis in Ukraine, and our thoughts are with the millions of citizens that have been impacted. In response, our member companies are providing significant humanitarian support.
The tragic consequence of any conflict, or major global event, is the impact it has on civilians, and in particular, the provision of day-to-day services that we so often take for granted. We experienced this acutely over the past two years as hospitals around the world became overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, and in response to the pandemic, our HealthTech sector was called upon to provide unprecedented support.
There is substantial will, once again, to aid those affected, and our priority as an industry is to ensure that HealthTech products and services can continue to reach those who need them. This includes patients in Ukraine, its neighbouring EU member countries, Belarus, Russia, and all those adversely impacted by supply chain disruption and trade sanctions. The safe passage of HealthTech products to citizens around the world should always be prioritised on a humanitarian basis.
We are in continual dialogue with government as to the impact of the crisis on the HealthTech industry and the patients you serve.
Please do continue to share with Eleanor any intelligence as to how the crisis is impacting your businesses, so that we can continue to inform officials as necessary: Eleanor.charsley@abhi.org.uk
Donation of Medical Supplies
The Ukrainian Ministry of Health have produced this list of medical supplies that they are trying to source, and our colleagues at CBI are working with the Ukrainian Embassy to facilitate this effort. If you are able to help in any way, please write to CBI's Peter Werner at peter.werner@cbi.org.uk, who will in turn connect you to the Embassy.
Donations from EU-based locations
For any members looking to provide support from EU-based locations, companies are advised to get in touch with the civil protection authorities of their respective EU Member State, with contact details for the crisis centres available here.
Financial Donations
A number of emergency appeals have been set up in response to the war, including:
- Disasters Emergency Committee. Donate here.
- UN Refugee Agency. Donate here.
- The British Red Cross. Donate here.
Trade & Finance
If you have questions about trading with Ukraine or Russia you can use the Department for International Trade's dedicated Export Support Service, either through the online platform, or by calling 0300 303 8955.
Trade Sanctions
Financial Sanctions
- A full list of those currently subject to financial sanctions under the Russia Financial Sanctions regime can be found here.
- For all those designated with financial sanctions, please consult the OFSI Consolidated list.
- In addition to those subject to an asset freeze, there are restrictions on capital market access for certain Russian State-owned entities. These can be found are The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, and are further detailed in OFSI’s Russia Regime guidance.
- For guidance on an overall approach to financial sanctions, please consult OFSI’s general guidance.
- For specific guidance for those Importing / Exporting, please consult OFSI’s Guidance for the Import / Export sector.
Export Control on Critical-Industrial Technologies
On 2 March 2022, the Export Control Joint Unit released additional guidance on sanctions relating to Russia that concerns critical-industry goods.
- The notice to exporters (NTE) can be found here.
- The full amendment to the sanctions document can be found here.
Cyber Security
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has urged organisations of all sizes to follow its guidance on steps to take when the cyber threat is heightened. This guidance can be found here. Please note that even though the NCSC is not aware of any current specific threats to UK organisations, there has been an historical pattern of cyber attacks on Ukraine with international consequences.