Strategy needed to attract more healthcare workers from UK

Issued : Friday 22 September, 2017

Following news that 10,000 EU nationals have left the NHS since the Brexit vote, Labour Party Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly has called on the HSE to use Brexit as a way to address staff shortages in the health service.

Deputy Kelly commented: 

“Yesterday, NHS Digital confirmed that 9,832 EU nationals left the NHS between 30 June 2016 and 30 June 2017.

“While Brexit has many negative implications for our country, we could use this situation to our advantage to bridge the gap in staff shortages across our health service.

“There is a real opportunity here for Ireland to market itself as the alternative to Britain for healthcare professionals.

“The Minister and his Department should be actively reaching out to EU healthcare professionals and encouraging them to consider Ireland as an option for employment while the uncertainties of Brexit rumble on. 

“If we are to end the staffing crisis in our health service, the Government needs to be more proactive when it comes to attracting quality staff to our healthcare system.

“I’m calling on the Minister for Health and the HSE to urgently develop a strategy to attract these workers to Ireland.”