UK Shortage Index
A single, continuously-updated, source-linked picture of the UK medicines supply — free to read, quote and link. Every figure below traces to an official notification or Serious Shortage Protocol. Sources last checked 08 Sep 2026; last source change 07 Sep 2026.
New Medicine Supply Notifications and safety alerts recorded each month, across the archive window.
The protocols the NHS has managed for the greatest span. “Running for” counts elapsed time only — scheduled end-dates are shown separately, because they slip.
| Protocol | Running for | Status | Valid from | Scheduled until |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSP005 | 3.1 years | expired | 12 Mar 2020 | 31 Mar 2023 |
| SSP061 | 2.3 years | in force | 24 May 2024 | 02 Oct 2026 |
| SSP060 | 2.3 years | in force | 24 May 2024 | 02 Oct 2026 |
| SSP079 | 1.7 years | in force | 19 Dec 2024 | 02 Oct 2026 |
| SSP080 | 1.7 years | in force | 19 Dec 2024 | 02 Oct 2026 |
Severity tiers are stated on Medicine Supply Notifications — 297 of the 316 tracked records. The remainder (safety alerts and protocol updates) carry no tier by design.
| Tier | Meaning | Tracked notices |
|---|---|---|
| — | Tier not stated | 17 |
| Tier 2 | Medium impact | 256 |
| Tier 3 | High impact | 24 |
A dated, permalinked snapshot of each month's activity — fixed once the month is over, so it's safe to cite in print.
Free to quote and link. Please cite as: “UK Shortage Index, ShortageSignal (shortagesignal.co.uk), by Doctor Data Ltd, accessed 08 Sep 2026.” Every figure links to its source document, and the full method is on the methodology page. Journalists and researchers: see the press kit, or pull the numbers via the open API. Data updates twice daily.