NHS could be badly affected

Leaving the European Union could be “potentially catastrophic” for the NHS, the authors of a hard-hitting report have warned.

Even a “soft” Brexit that retains access to the single market while restricting the free movement of people is likely to have a big impact on health care in the UK, they claim.

A total break with Brussels was expected to have far worse consequences.

Estimates for 2017 suggest 60,000 people from the EU work in the NHS and 90,000 are employed in adult social care, with a concentration of staff in London and the southeast. These regions would be especially vulnerable to labour shortages, said the authors.

Another risk highlighted in the report was the loss of funding to the NHS, both as a direct result of the European money stream being cut off and indirectly from impacts on the UK economy.

Professor Martin McKee from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a member of the report team, said: “Our analysis of how Brexit will affect the NHS, although the UK’s desired outcome remains unclear, is that Brexit in any form poses major risks to almost every part of the NHS, with a ‘no deal’ scenario potentially catastrophic.

“We hope that our paper encourages the UK negotiating team to make health issues a priority.”