MORE than four in ten European-born medics could quit the UK over Brexit, the British Medical Association (BMA) has found.
Doctors from the European Economic Area (EEA) said they feel “substantially less appreciated” by the UK Government following the EU referendum result and far less committed to working here.
More than 40 per cent are now considering leaving Britain and another quarter are unsure if they will stay.
Dr Peter Bennie, chair of BMA Scotland, said: “It shows just how much damage is being done by the needless and continuing uncertainty over the future status of European doctors who already work in our NHS.
“These are our colleagues and our friends and the ongoing uncertainty they face is deeply damaging.
“Together we staff Scotland’s hospitals and GP surgeries, look after vulnerable patients in the community, and conduct vital medical research. Many European doctors have dedicated years of service to healthcare in the UK. It’s extremely concerning that so many are considering leaving.”
Here under freedom of movement rules, around 10,000 of the medics staffing the UK’s hospitals and medical centres hail from the EEA, which includes all EU countries as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
The BMA survey did not ask respondents about which part of the UK they were working in, but some commented about their location. One GP called on the UK Government to “defend and value publicly foreign doctors in the same way it has been done by the Scottish Government.”
Meanwhile, a consultant said: “I would hope that we are not going to be used as bargaining chips. The Scottish Government has taken a clearer line and as I work in Scotland, I feel more supported here.”
Bennie said: “The refusal of the Westminster Government to guarantee their right to continue contributing to our health service is understandably causing a significant number of European doctors to consider leaving. The scale of the recruitment and retention difficulties that Scotland’s NHS is facing would be made exponentially worse without the contribution of European doctors.
“The Westminster Government must act, and act quickly, to ensure long-term stability for the NHS by providing certainty about their future in the UK.”
Last week Theresa May emphasised the importance of a deal on EU citizens’ rights in post-Brexit UK during talks with French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, as criticism of her administration’s failure to guarantee their status continues.
Under current rules, EU nationals who have been in the UK for five years are eligible for automatic permanent residency status, and applications have risen 50 per cent since last summer’s vote.
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