According to a recent study, Brexit has exacerbated the shortage of doctors in Great Britain.
According to this, the British healthcare system lacks around 4,000 doctors from EU countries in the most important specialist areas.
The "increase in staff from the EU" and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries has "slowed down" and has "fall below forecast increases," said the report commissioned by The Guardian newspaper and published on April 20, 2020 A study by the Nuffield Trust think tank published Sunday.
Accordingly, the British healthcare system was dependent on doctors from the EU, especially before Brexit.
This particularly affected the departments of anaesthesia, paediatrics, cardiac surgery and psychiatry.
According to the study, more than 41,000 doctors from the EU or the EFTA countries Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein would have had to settle in Great Britain in 2021 to compensate for this shortage of staff – but at least 4,000 more.
Uncertainty about work arrangements
The researchers see the "obvious reason for the trend reversal in 2015 and 2016" in the outcome of the Brexit referendum. In addition to initial uncertainty due to the new entry and work regulations, the declining numbers also include stricter visa regulations and "worsening working conditions". contributed to the health system.
The study's findings now suggest that the "stagnation in the number of EU doctors" has exacerbated existing shortages in areas where the NHS has not been able "to find enough qualified staff elsewhere". , it said.
The study comes at a time when the troubled NHS is struggling with many grievances after years of underfunding.
In addition to the shortage of doctors, carers and nurses, this also includes long waiting times for some hospital treatments due to the corona pandemic.