A diabetes patient facing a dangerous shortage of medication is calling for health chiefs in Suffolk to take urgent action to help him and others like him.
Nigel Davies, from Ipswich, has diabetes and has been taking injections to control his condition.
But in January supplies ran out at his pharmacy and he had to switch to taking a daily tablet. He switched back to the injections in February but supplies ran out again in March forcing him to take the tablets again.
He said: “Now even the tablet is out of stock, I have checked 13 pharmacies across Ipswich and no one has it.
"I have four more days of medication, after which I run out completely, and the GPs and nurses have no idea what to do next."
Mr Davies said: "No one has given me a solution or an alternative to my crisis, and a nurse just called the whole situation 'choppy water'."
Councillors on the health scrutiny committee at Suffolk County Council are due to meet this week to discuss the shortages of medication facing patients.
They are expected to call for NHS Suffolk and North East Essex (SNEE) Integrated Care Board (ICB) to take action to support patients who need medication.
The committee wants SNEE to set up a task group to guide communications between patients, hospitals, GPs and pharmacies.
There has been a nationwide shortage in four medicines.
Mr Davies used a diabetes treatment called GLP1-RA, which can help the body produce insulin to regulate the amount of sugar levels.
However, hospital supplies ran out in July 2023, and pharmacies have intermittently run out as well. The shortage is expected to last until the end of 2024.
Meanwhile, multiple forms of ADHD medicine have been unavailable since last September, due to manufacturing issues and an increased global demand.
Nebuliser solutions for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) have also been unavailable since February this year, but the NHS say that this will be resolved by the end of this month.
There has also been a general shortage in Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) since April 2022.
The shortages have meant specialist teams at hospitals are having to see patients more often resulting in longer waiting times.
Three teams have already been set up by the ICB to tackle the shortage in medications.
The health scrutiny committee will discuss further suggestions on April 17.
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