The courier company behind last year's KFC chicken shortage has been handed a government contract to supply medicines in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
DHL will be tasked with transporting NHS supplies from Belgium to Britain if no deal is secured with the European Union.
Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas raised concerns over the new contract in the House of Commons today, branding it a "bargain bucket" supply deal.
- Read more: Dominic Grieve: No-deal Brexit would be 'catastrophic'
- Read more: Hungry customers outraged at KFC chicken shortage
"The government has just decided that imports of medical supplies are to be handled by the same company that forced hundreds of restaurants to close because it was incapable of delivering chicken to KFC," Lucas said.
"It is horrifying that the Prime Minister's stubborness is putting people's lives at risks by bargain bucket supply deals."
Around 500 KFC branches were forced to close last year due to "operational issues" after the chain switched to a delivery contract with DHL
Following the incident, KFC ditched DHL and returned to their original supplier, Bidvest.
Responding to Lucas's concerns during Prime Minister's Questions, Theresa May said: "If the lady is so concerned about the impact of no-deal, there is a very simple answer; if she doesn't want no-deal, she should support the deal."
'Misleading'
A DHL delivery van. Image: Getty
DHL told talkRADIO that they had "successfully managed" their previous work with the NHS for 12 years.
In a statement, they said: “DHL Supply Chain has successfully managed the NHS Supply Chain business for the past 12 years, delivering market leading productivity, safety and quality, while consistently surpassing customer targets.
"We have an inherent understanding of the handling required to facilitate this new contract and have partnered with our wider group encompassing Express, Freight and Global Forwarding, who are all market leaders in their respective fields, to ensure successful delivery.”
The Department of Health told The Mirror that it was "misleading" to compare the firm's handling of delivering chicken with delivering medicines.
Follow Us