We’ve been keeping a close eye on Brexit negotiations and appreciate that it’s an unsettling time for healthcare professionals in and outside of the UK. In the case of a no-deal Brexit, Boris Johnson has stated that on 31st October the current system of freedom of movement will end.
As of July, around a third of all UK-based EU citizens have registered for the government’s settlement scheme, but experts claim that the current immigration system makes it impossible to end freedom of movement as the Home Office has no record of when EU nationals arrived (BBC News).
Concerned that healthcare is being overlooked, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) this week wrote to the Prime Minister ‘calling for health to be at the heart of Brexit negotiations.’ The letter is signed by Presidents, Chair people and Chief Executives of 14 other Royal Colleges as well as industry associations and societies. It highlights ‘the need for preparedness’ especially as the Brexit date falls at the start of the winter pressures, when even more strain is put on the NHS staff and facilities.
Read the full letter on the RCP website and follow the story on Twitter.
