Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2018 to Question 211317 on NHS: Agency Workers, what estimate his Department has made of the potential increase in costs as a result of staff shortages after the UK leaves the EU (i) with and (ii) without a deal.

The Government continues to monitor and analyse overall staffing levels across the health and social care sector, and we are working across Government to ensure there will continue to be sufficient staff to deliver the high-quality services on which patients rely following the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. We are working with EU nationals to ensure that they stay in the UK, and feel welcome and encouraged to do so.