NHS chief nursing officer reassures 'worried' EU nurses in response to referendum result

The outcome of the European Union (EU) referendum has prompted the chief nursing officer for England, Professor Jane Cummings, to reassure EU nurses working in the NHS who have raised concerns about their future.

In a statement, Ms Cummings revealed that the outcome of the referendum has ‘understandably, raised a number of questions about what this will mean for people from the EU currently employed in Britain’.

She said: “I wanted to take this opportunity to confirm to all EU nurses, midwives and care assistants working in England’s health and care system that you are valued and hugely appreciated.

"You are an integral and vital part of the health and care family, and your skills and compassionate care directly benefit patients, families and communities.

“Your vital contribution to our work together will continue; you are appreciated by me and, most of all, by those we care for.”

It is estimated 55,000 out of the 1.2 million English NHS staff are EU citizens, including: doctors, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists, support workers and those in admin roles.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has also assured nurses that it would continue to work closely with the EU.

A spokesperson for Royal College of Nursing commented: “All of us share a commitment to ensuring that the nursing voice continues to be heard on a wide range of national and international nursing issues. The RCN will continue to work closely with our sister nursing organisations across Europe as we have done for many years.

“Once there is greater clarity, the RCN will take forward work to consider the impact of leaving for both nursing and the RCN, to ensure that the voice of nursing is heard in future negotiations to leave the EU.”

Following the result of the referendum, Niall Dickson, chief executive of the General Medical Council (GMC), believes the vote will also have no impact on the registration status of any doctor already on the register.

“Withdrawing from Europe will have implications for the way that we regulate doctors but we understand that the vote to leave the EU will have no impact on the registration status of any doctor already on the register.

“We will now explore how doctors from the EU will be granted access to the UK medical register and how any concerns about those doctors will be shared between us and other countries. We will also seek to understand the implications for UK doctors wishing to work in the EU once the UK is no longer a member state.

“Much will depend on whether the principle of free movement is maintained within the treaty of withdrawal.

“We will now begin to discuss these issues with the four UK Governments. Our chief priority in these conversations will be to make sure we can provide robust protection to UK patients.”