No-deal will leave NHS gasping for breath

Commenting on the statement from the TUC and health unions on the threat posed to the NHS by a no-deal Brexit, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “Boris Johnson is setting a timebomb for the NHS. The promises of more cash for the health service made during the referendum were just empty words. “No deal will instead leave the NHS gasping for breath, creating chaos for the hard-working staff and spelling potential disaster for patients.” Notes to editors: – The full statement (embargoed to 00.01hrs Thursday 29 August) reads: “Together we represent more than a million health and care staff. They’re the lifeblood of our health service, consistently going above and beyond to make sure we can all rely on world-class care when we need it most.  A no-deal Brexit could devastate the NHS and social care. And if this government goes ahead with it, health and care workers will be on the frontline. As the Yellowhammer report makes clear, a no deal could cause significant disruption to the supply of medicine, lasting up to six months. Many medicines, including life-saving agents for cancer diagnosis and therapy, cannot be stockpiled and for those that can, those stockpiles could run out. These kinds of shortages and delays can be fatal. No responsible government should take that risk. We have already seen thousands of EU staff leave since 2016. In the event of a no deal, tens of thousands of NHS and care workers from the EU would be left in limbo, intensifying t...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: News Press release BREXIT dave prentis government Source Type: news