The “uncertainty and chaos” of a no-deal Brexit could push an already under pressure NHS over the edge with patients, a leading union has warned.
Patients will become the biggest losers with the risk of severe shortages of drugs and medical equipment as well as the fear of cancelled operations and increased waiting times, says Unison.
Speaking ahead of the opening of the opening of the Trades Unions Congress in Brighton, Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: “No responsible politician working for the good of the country would allow the NHS to plunge into the no-deal abyss.
“The Prime Minister must ditch his do-or-die bluster, respect the law by asking the EU for an extension and then let the country decide its future in a general election.
“The chaos and uncertainty a no-deal Brexit would bring could push an already under-pressure NHS over the edge. And patients will be the biggest losers.”
Dave Prentis spoke out as Unison staged a stunt with health workers on Brighton seafront to highlight the risks to the NHS of a no-deal Brexit. NHS workers pulled a mock-up of a hospital back from falling over the edge.
The aim was to highlight the dangers posed by a no-deal Brexit by pulling on a rope lashed around a two metre-high On-the-Brink Hospital teetering precariously over the edge of the railings on Brighton seafront A message across the front of the hospital read: “No Deal Wrecks It.”
Prentis added: “Although the bill to prevent no deal passed another hurdle in the Lords last week, we’re not out of the woods. The threat remains when we’re up against a prime minister eager to break every convention, rule and promise in the book.”
He also described how Brexit has jeopardised the recruitment and retention of NHS staff.
“Brexit hasn’t just stopped potential EU recruits coming here to join the NHS, it’s also convinced those already working here that they’re better off elsewhere.
“No deal risks wrecking the fragile social care sector that’s reliant on EU nationals. If care collapses, A&E departments will be inundated and elderly patients won’t be able to leave hospital as they’ve nowhere to go.
“If freedom of movement ends, the staffing headache suffered by NHS trusts countrywide becomes a full-blown migraine attack.
“Many thousands of EU nationals have yet to apply for settled status and it’s anyone’s guess what that means for their jobs.
“The catalogue of logistical nightmares goes on. The NHS serves more than 140 million meals to patients every year, with much of the food imported from Europe.
“Possible fuel shortages could have a severe impact on 6,500 emergency ambulances and their crews operating countrywide, especially those in areas with lorries queuing out of the ports.
“But the real tragedy is that the millions spent on no-deal Brexit preparations could have been invested in rebuilding communities.
“Instead, real issues affecting people’s lives are being ignored – to the nation’s eternal shame.”
Unison was a signatory to a statement from the TUC and health unions on the threat posed to the NHS by a no-deal Brexit.
Dave Prentis will lead the debate at the 151st Trades Union Congress in Brighton on Monday September 9.
A government spokesperson said: “We want to reassure patients across the UK that we are taking all appropriate steps so we are prepared for Brexit on 31 October, whatever the circumstances, and our plans should help ensure the supply of medicines and medical products remains uninterrupted.
“And we have been crystal clear that we want our hardworking EU staff to stay in the UK and continue to perform vital roles across the NHS and social care sector.”
“Over 6,300 more EU workers have joined the NHS since the referendum and we continue to encourage those living and working in the UK to apply for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.”