Dear General Election Candidate,

HEALTH CARE: WHAT A BREXIT DEAL MUST INCLUDE

The British Medical Association has published a Briefing on what a Brexit deal must include to safeguard health care for people in the UK.

The Briefing calls for the following safeguards for patients and the NHS in any Brexit deal. Please let me know how once you are elected you will ensure that the government will implement each of these safeguards:

A Brexit deal must include:

Free movement for healthcare and medical research staff

Permanent residence for EU doctors and medical researchers currently in the UK

Continued rights for EEA medical students in the UK to live, train and work in UK health services

Continuation of the existing open border arrangements between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

Ongoing cross-border co-operation in the delivery of healthcare to patients on both sides of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

Freedom of movement for healthcare workers to live and work on both sides of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

Ongoing MRPQ (Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications) to provide doctors the means to move and work between both Irish jurisdictions

Ongoing participation by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in the regulatory framework for pan-European clinical trials

A formal agreement between the UK and European Medicines Agency to continue to support and participate in their assessments for medicine approvals

Mutual recognition of, and ongoing participation in, the CE scheme for medical devices

The retention, or comparable replacement, of reciprocal health care arrangements and access to healthcare for both UK and EU citizens

The maintenance of reciprocal arrangements, such as the MRPQ (Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications), to facilitate the ongoing exchange of medical expertise across Europe and ensure quick access to the UK healthcare system be appropriately trained EU doctors

Ongoing access to the IMI (Internal Market Information) alert system, which enables regulators across Europe to send and receive alerts about doctors’ fitness to practise across the EU

The retention of measures to protect public health standards, including those affecting food, alcohol, air quality, and tobacco regulations

An agreement between the UK and the EU to continue to share data and emergency preparedness planning in relation to cross-border threats

Ongoing access to EU research programmes and research funding

Immediate certainty for UK researchers who currently access Horizon 2020 funding about funding and collaboration on existing and future research projects

Continued access to the European Investment Bank to fund research programmes

Ongoing access to and participation in the European Reference Networks, enabling healthcare providers across Europe to tackle complex or rare medical conditions requiring highly specialised treatment

Abolition of the charge to migrants from outside the EEA to use the NHS.

I look forward to your reply.

Kind regards,

Yours sincerely,