A no-deal Brexit will seriously damage our health
A NO-DEAL Brexit would be “catastrophic” for the NHS and harm the fight against deadly illnesses like cancer, Scotland’s top doctors warned yesterday.
A hair-raising briefing paper from the British Medical Association (BMA) outlined the damage the health service would suffer if the UK crashes out of the European Union without a deal.
They said the doomsday scenario would leave Britain more at risk to outbreaks of deadly infectious diseases, delay the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and make it harder for the NHS to recruit highly skilled staff.
The unprecedented warnings from medical experts will ratchet up the pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May to face down hardline Brexiteers on her backbenches and restore sanity to the Brexit negotiations.
The BMA had already produced a number of briefings outlining the negative consequences of Brexit on the NHS and the nation’s health.
They have now highlighted the implications of what they consider the worst-case scenario.
The conclusions include: ●Delays for diagnosis and treatment of cancer because the UK will be outside the EURATOM agreement for sharing vital radioactive isotopes ●Major disruption for almost one million patients receiving treatment for rare diseases as the UK would be excluded from the European Rare Disease Network.
No reciprocal healthcare agreements would see 190,000 UK state pensioners who live in the EU forced to return home for treatment costing between £500million and £1billion per year. ●Fewer essential medical staff recruited from the EU into an NHS experiencing a staffing crisis.
Chair of BMA Scotland Dr Peter Bennie said: “The BMA has spent a great deal of time pointing out the many areas that give doctors cause for concern with Brexit and its implications.
“Given the ongoing major uncertainty and the lack of any apparent progress on these issues, it has become clear to the BMA that the risks of Brexit for the nation’s health are sharply increasing.
“Doctors are increasingly alarmed by the ongoing failure to secure the kind of deal which will work to the benefit of patients, the medical workforce and health services in Scotland, across the UK and Europe.”
Dr Bennie said the doctors did not use the word “catastrophic” lightly.
He added: “For example, without a deal, we risk losing quick and effective access to medical radioisotopes, that