Returning retirees could cost NHS £500m a year

A new report by the Nuffield Trust has warned that the NHS could face an extra annual bill of £500 million if retired British citizens living in Europe return to the UK for care post-Brexit.

Currently, there is a scheme whereby the 190,000 British pensioners now living in Europe get their healthcare costs paid as part of the S1 scheme. If the scheme were to end, it is estimated it would cost £979 million annually - instead of the £500 million the UK pays into the S1 scheme at present.

Moreover, if all of these pensioners decided to return to the UK, the report predicts that the NHS would need 900 additional NHS hospital beds a year in order to treat them, as well as approximately 1,600 more doctors, nurses and other workers to provide the care.

Additionally, as has widely been reported, there could be a shortage of 20,000 nurses by 2025/26 if migration from the EU is limited, while the cost of medicine could rise, potentially to £100 million, if the UK were to leave the European medicines licensing system.

Mark Dayan, from the Nuffield Trust. said: "It is possible that extra funds could be found for the NHS from any cancellation of Britain's EU membership fees. But whether or not these benefits will outweigh the significant staffing and financial costs Brexit may impose on already stretched services remains to be seen. That depends largely on the NHS being recognised as a significant priority as we enter some of the most important negotiations in Britain's history."

Responding to the report, Dr Mark Porter, BMA council chair, said: “These figures are a stark reminder that with the NHS at breaking point, politicians must keep the health service and its patients at the forefront during Brexit negotiations and reduce the impact that leaving the EU will have on health and social care across the UK.

“Not only might NHS resources fall, but existing chronic staff shortages could be worsened as half of the 10,000 EEA doctors working in the NHS are considering leaving the UK. This would seriously impact patient care across the country and increase what are often already unacceptable delays for treatment.

“It is vital that the next government ensures long-term stability for the NHS by granting permanent residence to EEA doctors working in the UK; maintains the current working time regulations; protects life-changing medical research which benefits from European funding; and ensures that leaving the EU will not delay the UK’s access to vital pharmaceuticals.”