GMB call for Isle of Wight NHS Trust to generate strategy to address threat to services by Brexit uncertainty
GMB call on IoW NHS trust, NHS England and National Government to generate strategy to address threat to services brought on by Brexit uncertainty. “People on the island do not wish to see to see services having to be cut by a pressurised trust management have to address a serious set of circumstances beyond their control”, says GMB Southern
GMB Union are calling on the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, NHS England and National Government to generate a strategy with input from across the community to address the increasing pressure and threat to the level of services provided to the public at St Mary’s Hospital Isle of Wight, due to the onset and uncertainty surrounding Brexit.
Recently released detail has shown that IOW NHS trust has the second highest percentage level of migrant worker employees within NHS England.
New figures released through the Bureau of Investigative Journalism show just how hard the Isle of Wight will be hit, with 20% of doctors from the Isle of Wight NHS coming from the EU. [See notes to editors for link to Bureau of Investigative Journalism article]
President of the Royal College of Physicians, Professor Andrew Goddard wrote: "If we modelled last year’s 12,303 EU staff that joined the NHS in 2017, and applied the tier 2 immigration system or a similar model, the NHS would have to find £105 million a year to recruit staff that previously attracted no immigration costs.
"If you then add in visa renewal costs for 60% of these staff at the end of their 3-year visas, the cost increases by a further £45 million, creating a total of £150 million, and that’s before you add in the costs to the NHS for processing any new bureaucracy."
Adrian Baker, GMB Regional Organiser said "Residents of the IOW should not have to see the IOW NHS suffer a potentially severe level of detriment in comparison to some other areas of the country due to the proposed new two tier immigration system and the short sightedness of those addressing Brexit.
"When you have the chief executive of NHS Employers Danny Mortimer stating that recruitment from the EU has "plummeted" and that "if the numbers of nurses continued to fall waiting times would go up dramatically" it is of grave concern.
"People on the Island would rightfully expect at an absolute minimum, the maintaining of current standards provided by NHS IOW. They certainly do not wish to see to see services having to be cut by a pressurised trust management have to address a serious set of circumstances beyond their control.
"With such detail becoming available it is only right that at a very minimum IOW NHS Trust and representatives of NHS England prepare a Trust specific impact assessment based on current available detail. Once this detail is generated it needs to be presented openly to the public and a case for support presented directly to Government by affected groups seeking at very minimum the protection of current services for Isle of Wight residents and support for the already overstretched NHS employees."
Contact: Adrian Baker 07841 071 849 or GMB Southern Press Office 07970 114 762
Notes to Editors
1] Bureau of Investigative Journalism – "Brexit risk: More than a fifth of doctors and nurses at some hospitals are from the EU" (23 Oct 2018) https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2018-10-23/eu-doctors-nurses-hospitals-staffing-crisis
2] Royal College of Physicians – "The £490 million question: is this the new cost of overseas health workers post-Brexit?" by Professor Andrew Goddard https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/news/490-million-question-new-cost-overseas-health-workers-post-brexit
