Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how he plans to sustain and develop cross-border services between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after the UK leaves the EU.

Healthcare is devolved, and it is therefore the Northern Ireland Department of Health that will lead in this area.

The United Kingdom Government supports continued cooperation between Ireland and Northern Ireland, as provided for by the Belfast Agreement.

To help facilitate such cooperation we have been negotiating with the Irish Government under the auspices of the Common Travel Area, which will maintain a variety of reciprocal rights for British and Irish citizens when travelling or resident in one another’s jurisdictions.

Health and care professionals possessing dual registration in Ireland and Northern Ireland will continue to work across the border should we leave the European Union without a deal.