Shortage of glass now...

[AJB Temple]

I wanted to order 4 double glazed units and a single pane today as I am making some windows. All toughened softcoat. Online suppliers I usually use are quoting 5-6 week lead time (which seems to be the case elsewhere too). Normally I can get made to measure units inside a week. Blaming UK glass shortage due to Brexit.

Turned up at doctors today after my text appointment reminder for a blood test. Wasted most of a morning for this and on arrival at the nurse she said someone should have called me as they have no glass jars for blood. UK glass shortage due to Brexit...It would appear glass is largely made in the EU :|

Supply chain shambles continues.

 

[Trevanion]

And it has steadily gone up about 40% since late 2019.

 

[RogerS]

..... Blaming UK glass shortage due to Brexit.

....

I don't think that they are wrong. We lost two major UK float glass lines earlier on in the year for routine maintenance apparently. European glass is being hit by transport delivery issues.

 

[Argus]

Perhaps the medical issue with the lack of sample containers boils down quite simply to a basic monopolized supply.......one large firm in another country, combined with a Just-in-Time ordering system, then combine all that with all the transport issues affecting supply chains at this time.

Now, if they made window glass, what a perfect storm!

 

[Doug]

So easy to just blame Brexit but it’s more to do with lack of production & getting back to the production levels pre- covid.
https://www.glass-international.com/new ... ois-france

They can’t ship what they haven’t got, if the media is to be believed the UKs shortage of lorry drivers is because so many have left our shores to return home so the EU shouldn’t have a shortage of drivers, certainly my son who works for an Italian company in the uk haven’t missed their weekly shipment this year.

 

[RogerS]

This is a very balanced piece on the global shortage of lorry drivers

https://www.ft.com/content/4e79e4ad-1f1 ... b21748f81c

 

[AndyP]

Can still get blood tests here

 

[Lons]

Brexit is to blame for many things and might well have caused additional issues but is not the root cause in the case of medical tubes and bottles.
The shortage of blood tubes is not just the UK and not directly attributable to Brexit either, it's a global shortage exacerbated by increased global demand mainly caused by the pandemic.

 

[Doug]

Can still get blood tests here

Not much consolation for the OP

 

[AJB Temple]

It was not me that blamed Brexit. This is trotted out by suppliers routinely now. Shortage of lorry drivers in the UK is regularly blamed by MSM on EU drivers leaving the UK .....because of Brexit.

I am making a different point. For whatever reason, there are self evidently significant supply chain issues in this country. This is both a problem and potentially an opportunity. If our economy is to regain momentum, we surely need to see less dependence on imports henceforth. Rebuilding UK manufacturing is surely more of a priority than things like HS2?

We are also witnessing quite significant inflation: heating oil, timber, plywood, tools, machinery, glass, insulation panels, cement, concrete (damn that cement) - lots of things that affect our shared passion for making stuff.

 

[MattS]

Agree with you Adrian, without getting political and falling foul of forum rules, I could support a Brexit with the intention of restoring British manufacturing but I don't think a Conservative government has any interest in that. I see price increases and longer lead times becoming normal for some time yet.

 

[Lons]

Yeah that wasn't aimed at you specifically Adrian, I agree with you and the others and no way would I want any political threads, saw enough of that over on the dark side however shortages are a very real issue as you pointed out and there are a combination of reasons for that, the other issue is that there appears to be a lot of companies taking advantage to hike up prices out of all proportion just because they can use Brexit and Covid as an excuse.

I've just had 4 all season tyres delivered because I have it on good authority that come November/December they will be in high demand, short supply and prices will jump. Premium 20" tyres are expensive enough already. :shock:

We're planning a couple of weeks around Wales in the motorhome, sites are busy and prices at some have more than doubled even though they are using all pitches exactly as pre pandemic, ok extra cleaning etc. but increase from £30 a night to £55 is just profiteering IMO.

 

[AndyP]

Can still get blood tests here

Not much consolation for the OP

Indeed my comment was a flippant but I was staggered watching the BBC this morning about blood test being restricted due to lack of glass test tubes.

As for price rises. My O level economics taught me a little about supply and demand and a free market. Is it possible that some of those price hikes are just recovering the losses those companies bore during the earlier stages of the pandemic?

 

[Lurker]

I don’t think it’s glass tubes.
It’s 40 years since I worked in medical laboratories, but glass had nearly disappeared even then.

I know for a fact ( just checked with a specialist nurse sat next to me) that blood sample collection containers are all plastic. And have been for donkeys years.

 

[AndyP]

Sorry to have dragged this off topic and I hate to argue with your nurse but this the article I read and saw on the Beeb this morning

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58394899

I don't think they are glass though

 

[Lurker]

That was my point, nothing to do with glass and it’s years since glass was used.

 

[AndyP]

Yep I picked up the wrong stick there

 

[AJB Temple]

There is a major shortage of plastic vials for blood tests as well as glass. It's even worse than I thought :lol:

 

[droogs]

Psst Adrian, if you need any blood vials. just gimme a nudge and a wink :eusa-shifty: