Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has compiled information on the number of NHS staff whose immigration status would be affected by the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

We do not want or expect a no deal scenario. As a result of the significant progress made in negotiations, we remain confident we will agree a mutually advantageous deal with the European Union.

We have been clear from the beginning of this process that we want EU nationals currently working in the National Health Service to stay after we leave the EU and we are working to safeguard their future, regardless of the outcome of the negotiations. They, and their close family members, will be able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to secure their settled status. This offer will stand irrespective of whether a deal is reached by the time the United Kingdom leaves the EU.

As of March 2018 there were around 63,000 EU excluding UK nationals employed in NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups, or 5.2% of all employees, who would be eligible to apply for such a scheme.