Brexit could be ‘very dangerous’ for NHS, Stevens claims

If Britain votes to leave the European Union (EU) on the 23 June referendum it could be ‘very dangerous’ for the health service, NHS chief executive Simon Stevens has warned.

Speaking on the BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, Stevens highlighted the risk of a possible recession following a vote to leave the EU. The NHS chief drew focus to warnings from Bank of England governor Mark Carney that Brexit would ht the economy and warned that a lack of funding caused from a recession would be awful for the NHS at a time when extra investment is needed.

He said: "If Mark Carney is right, then that is a severe concern for the National Health Service, because it would be very dangerous if at precisely the moment the NHS is going to need extra funding, actually the economy goes into a tailspin and that funding is not there.

"It's been true for 68 years of NHS history that when the British economy sneezes, the NHS catches a cold and this would be a terrible moment for that to happen at precisely the time the NHS is going to need extra investment."

However, the warnings were refuted by Lord Owen, who criticised Stevens track record of running the NHS.

He told BBC’s Sunday Politics: "Simon Stevens is the manager of the NHS which is currently £3 billion in debt.

"This man has presided now for a sufficient time to judge his management skills. In almost every part of the National Health Service there is an acute crisis."