FSRH Statement: Update on national copper IUD shortages

There is an ongoing shortage of banded copper IUDs across the UK. This was caused by a global shortage of medical grade copper which impacted manufacture of the device. We are pleased to say that it looks as though we are nearing the end of these shortages.

We have been working with the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) to manage the current disruption to 10-year copper IUDs. DHSC have been speaking to suppliers and manufacturers of the products to provide a supply update. Stock of the capped IUD is currently available and further replenishment is due to distributors in early November. The T-Safe 380A Quick Load is currently unavailable from most distributors, however stock will be arriving in mid-December 2023.

All suppliers have full stock available for purchase of 5-year copper IUDs which can be used in the interim until stock of your preferred 10-year copper IUD is replenished.

We ask that clinicians please continue to report shortages to the National Supply Disruption Response (NSDR) team through this link, which contains guidance on reporting as well as the team’s contact details. This will help the Government to continue to assess and monitor the scale and impact of the shortages. 

We have published a statement with guidance to support clinical practise during the copper intrauterine device shortages. The full statement is available to download here.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to the faculty if you have any additional questions. You can contact us here.