Almost half of European doctors considering leaving UK due to Brexit

A recent survey conducted by the British Medical Association (BMA) finds that almost half of the NHS’s EU workforce is considering leaving the UK following the Brexit vote; while over 50% don’t think the government does enough for international doctors.

Here are listed some finding from BMA survey of 1,193 European Economic Area (EEA) doctors working in the UK. 

• 42 per cent are considering leaving the UK following the referendum vote, with a further 23 per cent admitting they are unsure whether they will remain in the UK.
• European doctors felt highly respected by patients before the EU referendum result, and this continues to be the case.
• On a scale of one to ten, European doctors said they feel considerably less appreciated by the Government of UK in light of the EU referendum result. The average rating dropped from seven out of ten before the referendum, to less than four out of ten after the referendum.
• The number of EU doctors who felt significantly committed to working in the UK in the light of the Brexit result also dropped from nine out of ten before the referendum to just six out of ten following the result.

Commenting on the findings, the chair of BMA council, Dr Mark Porter said that the government must act now to guarantee long-term stability across the healthcare system by providing assurance to medical professionals from the EU about their future in the UK.

The president of the Royal College of Physicians, Professor Jane Dacre said the BMA survey showed that the government, the National Health Service (NHS) and the public needed to value and support all NHS staff, wherever they are from.

Currently a quarter of NHS doctors are from overseas, and the NHS has benefitted from their talents, skills and commitment to working with us in the UK. The government must continue to support overseas doctors, despite the insecurity caused by the Brexit situation.

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