Doctors step up warnings over no-deal Brexit

Doctors have stepped up their warnings about the consequences of a no-deal Brexit, suggesting it could have “potentially catastrophic consequences for patients, the health workforce, services and the nation’s health”.

In a briefing paper published on Thursday, the British Medical Association suggested rare disease sufferers and cancer patients risk having their care disrupted, while the UK’s response to pandemics could also be weakened if the UK leaves the EU next March without an exit deal.

Chaand Nagpaul, who chairs the BMA’s ruling council, acknowledged the UK government had started planning to ensure the health sector and industry were prepared in the short term. But he criticised their preparations as “too little, too late and quite frankly, proof that the impact on the NHS has not received the attention it deserves in the Brexit negotiations”.

Dr Nagpaul added: “Some will say we are scaremongering by warning of the dangers of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit, but this is not the case. We aren’t shying away from being honest about what is at stake for health services if the UK and the EU fail to reach a deal.”

The BMA said no deal could cause “real disruption for almost a million patients receiving treatment for rare diseases as the UK would be excluded from the European Rare Disease Network”.

The UK would also have to source important radioisotopes from outside Euratom, the European Atomic Energy Community, which could cause delays in diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients, the BMA said.

Another area of concern is the prospect of an end to reciprocal healthcare agreements, under which patients from EU and European Economic Area nations can access health and social care services on the same basis as a resident of that nation.

The loss of that right could disrupt patient care and increase insurance costs, the BMA said, adding that Britain’s response to pandemics could also be affected, with an increased chance of diseases spreading as partnerships are lost with important EU bodies, such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Other risks, the BMA argued, include the return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which could mean patients having to travel miles to receive care, and the prospect of depleted NHS staffing levels “due to uncertainty over future immigration status and confusion around the mutual recognition of medical qualifications across the EU”.