'I will fade away without vital pancreas medication'

A Kent man who has had three-quarters of his pancreas removed says he will "fade away" without a medication that there has been a nationwide shortage of since 2024.

Paul Elcombe, from Hartley, takes Creon three times a day, after major surgery three years ago left him no longer able to create enough enzymes to break down food.

As it stands, he has three and a half weeks worth of tablets left, having only had one prescription filled this year.

He said: "You need it to survive, without it [Creon] your body can't break down the food...it's as important as insulin is to a diabetic."

The nationwide shortage, which the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) says is a "European-wide" supply issue, has forced the 63-year-old and his wife to spend time travelling to different pharmacies in a bid to get the medication.

He said: "I know it sounds dramatic, but without it you will just fade away...it's very scary."

Mr Elcombe also had a third of his stomach removed during the operation, alongside his gallbladder and part of his small intestine.

He said he had a hugely depleted supply of Creon despite reducing his intake from the intended 24 tablets to just eight a day.

This limits what he can consume because the 63-year-old can't eat without it.

He added: "You're never 100% after your operation. The fatigue you get is chronic; not eating makes it worse."

Mr Elcombe said the shortage - which has become worse this year - was not expected to lift until December 2026.

A spokesperson for the DHSC said: "We know how frustrating and distressing medicine supply issues can be for patients and the clinicians caring for them.

"The European-wide supply issues with Creon are caused by a limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints.

"We are working closely with industry and the NHS to mitigate the impact on patients and resolve the issues as quickly as possible."

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