European staff are leaving hospital jobs
Concern over potential Brexit impact
HUNDREDS of European staff left their jobs at Leicester’s hospitals after the referendum result was revealed, according to a board member.
Andrew Johnson, a nonexecutive director sitting on the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust board, asked what preparations were being taken to ensure the same doesn’t happen after March 29 as the team discussed a report about the potential impacts of Brexit.
He said: “Several hundred staff left within the first three or four months after the vote.
“How are we now communicating with staff?
“Do they know that there’s no truth in people saying ‘You can’t come to work on March 30 because you’re German?’”
Hazel Wyton, director of people and organisational development, responded: “A lot of people left the UK and this trust after the result.
“That has settled down now, we’ve not seen a rise as we get closer to that stage (March 29).”
Chief executive, John Adler, added: “We’ve got more to do there still though.
“We’re working with one of our Italian nursing colleagues who is going to ask other European staff what it would be useful for us to communicate about.”
The board discussed the impact a no deal Brexit would have on the trust and patients. A report by Stephen Ward, the trust’s director of corporate and legal affairs, outlines seven key risks.
Potential effects of a no deal Brexit, according to the document, could include delays with treatment, services not running as normal or not ‘running at all’, patients having to be rebooked, targets being breached and an increase in complaints.
Key risks featured in the report are supply of medicines and vaccines; supply of medical devices and clinical consumables; supply of non-clinical goods and services; workforce; reciprocal healthcare – which allows citizens of EU and EEA nations to access health and social care services on the same basis as a resident of that nation would and at no or low cost; and research and clinical trials and data sharing.
A risk assessment included in the report states: “If there is disruption to the supply of goods and services in UHL following the UK’s departure from the EU, particularly in the event of no deal being secured, then it may result in disruption to the continuity of core services across the trust, leading to potential harm, reputation and financial impact.”
Vicky Bailey, non-executive director, said: “The recovery phase is also really really important. “It’s often the forgotten phase when it comes to emergency planning because every one is so focussed on the problem.
“Whatever happens there will be repercussions long after March 29.”
Chairman Karamjit Singh CBE, added: “This is really important and current issue.
“We have a responsibility to think about what the implications are for this organisation.”
Members agreed that there should be another update at the next board meeting on Thursday March 7.