Brexit and Healthcare

Although we think it is unlikely that Brexit will come up in your interview, it is still a good idea to have an understanding on how Brexit is affecting the NHS. Here, at The Top Medic, we provide you with the knowledge not just to perform well in an interview, but to perform exceptionally - if you can interweave this knowledge in response to a question, you will certainly surprise your examiner.

History of Brexit

The Brexit referendum was held on the 23rd of June 2016.

Multiple surveys concluded that one of the most persuasive figures for the leave campaign was that it would free up £350m to be spent on the NHS each week; many people accepted the damage to the national economy as a consequence (Nuffield Trust). Retrospective analysis by Channel 4 has shown this claim is false with the UK’s net contribution to the EU budget being £234 million a week (not £350m) and the £40 billion Brexit Divorce Bill over the next 50 years will take up a large proportion of that.

The UK officially left the European union on the 31st of January 2020 with a transition period that lasted until the 31st of December 2020.

Impact of Brexit

Brexit has had an impact on all sectors with the Office for Budget Responsibility stating that Brexit resulted in 4% lower economic growth. This has caused the value of the sterling to decrease. On top of this, Brexit has also affected the NHS and Scientific Advancements in the UK and tighter immigration laws have led to less people coming to the UK to work in the NHS

Effects on the NHS

  • The Nuffield Trust states that Brexit reduced the increase in specialist doctors from the EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) by 14%.

  • The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) found that five thousand nurses and midwives who came from the EU have left the NHS since the transition period. Many identified Brexit as the reason.

  • The NMC found after the Brexit referendum, there was a 87% decline in nurses coming from the EU to work in the NHS.

  • At the end of 2022, nursing vacancy rate reached a peak of 9.7%.

  • However, nurses from countries outside the EU have increased.

To promote more nurses they have been placed on the Shortage Occupation List (offering additional benefits for nurses overseas to work in the UK) and the government created NHS Visas. This allows medical professionals to migrate to the UK to work in the NHS.

Effects on Scientific Advancements

Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for scientific research and innovation. From 2007-2013 the UK contributed €5.4bn to Horizon and in that same period it released €8.8bn to the UK (the second most out of all European countries).

On top of this:

  • EU scientists must apply for a visa to complete research in the UK and vice-versa, decreasing international innovation and collaboration.

  • Drug development in the UK must now comply with both European and UK laws.

  • The European Medicines Agency relocated from England to the Netherlands in 2019.

  • Countries outside the European Union (e.g America) traditionally have a 6 month delay before EU developed drugs become available to them. There is a fear this will also occur for the UK, delaying access to new drugs.