Hundreds of family doctors working in the UK are at risk from Brexit
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has warned Scotland could lose hundreds of family doctors as a result of Brexit, according to STV News. The issue is referred to in the RCGP Scotland manifesto, which sets out its priorities for political parties ahead of June’s general election.
According to RCGP, 226 GPs north of the border took their primary degree from a European Economic Area (EEA) country. If they are forced to leave because of Brexit, it could have serious implications for patient safety.
The Royal College argued that the workforce is already stretched, and called on the UK Government to guarantee that EU healthcare workers who are already working in Scotland will be able to do so in future.
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RCGP Scotland chair Dr Miles Mack said: “There is already a projected deficit of 828 whole-time equivalent GPs in Scotland, by 2021. To learn that Scotland could face the loss of an additional 4% of its already stretched GP workforce is extremely worrying. It is one in 25 of Scotland’s GPs. It could negatively affect over 226,000 patients in Scotland.”
“We are calling for government to safeguard the GP workforce during international negotiations by guaranteeing the status of healthcare professionals already working in Scotland and the UK. We are now faced with a possible removal of a further 226 GPs who, as nationals of other EU member states, might be lost to the workforce if their status is not protected,” he went on to say.
He added that surveys have shown that a “considerable percentage” of GPs in Scotland plan to leave the service soon as a result of overwork and under funding. “An enormous and urgent effort is required in Scotland to save general practice,” he warned.
Health secretary Shona Robison has agreed that the importance of EU nationals in the health care system is paramount and that the aim is to continue to attract such : “The contribution of EU and EEA nationals to our NHS cannot be overestimated. Doctors, nurses and care workers from across Europe help to staff our GP surgeries, our hospitals and our care homes.”
“In the Scottish Government we’ve made clear our view that, as a priority, their right to live and work in this country must be protected, as well as our ability to attract their successors in years to come,” she went on to say.
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