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 5 February 2019 to Question 215173, what plans his Department has to work with EU nationals employed by the NHS to ensure that they stay in the UK and feel welcome and encouraged to do so.

We have been clear from the beginning of this process that we want European Union nationals currently working in the National Health Service, to stay after we leave the EU. As part of this, we opened the public testing phase of the EU Settlement Scheme on 21 January 2019. Following a successful private testing phase in December 2018, the scheme is now open to all EU nationals in the United Kingdom.

The Department has undertaken a targeted communications campaign with stakeholders, employers and representative bodies in the health sector to ensure that as many of our EU workforce are aware of the straight forward and user-friendly scheme that allows them to secure their long-term rights to stay and work in the UK after we leave the EU.

Furthermore, to help facilitate as many applications as possible, the Prime Minister announced on 21 January 2019 that, as of 30 March 2019, all applications to the settlement scheme will be free. Additionally, where individuals have applied, or do apply, before that date, and are charged an application fee, then this fee will be refunded.