Brexit: Health Policy

Baroness Masham of Ilton Excerpts

Wednesday 6th December 2017 Lords Chamber

[Lord O’Shaughnessy]

The Secretary of State has set out very clearly that patients should not be disadvantaged as a result of the new arrangements, whatever they may be. Clearly, those new arrangements will be a matter for negotiation, but we will make sure that patients are not disadvantaged and that the industry can continue to get its drugs and devices to the UK market as quickly as it does now.

[Baroness Masham of Ilton (CB)]

My Lords, how many people from Europe who are in the medical field have already left because of insecurity and not knowing what is happening?

[Lord O’Shaughnessy]

I recognise that there is uncertainty. That is why we have set out our intention of offering a route to settled status for those people working here, and why we want the issues of citizens’ rights to be dealt with as soon as possible in the next phase of talks. The noble Baroness and other noble Lords will be interested to know that, if you compare June 2016 to June 2017, there are more EU workers working in the NHS from one year to the next.