Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of nationals of other EU countries working in the NHS as doctors; what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the number of such doctors; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect on NHS productivity of that change in the number of such doctors.

NHS Digital publishes data on the nationality of staff working in the National Health Service in England. Nationality is self-reported within the NHS human resources and payroll system, the electronic staff record.

In November 2016, 10,493 (9.3%) doctors working in NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups declared their nationality as other European Union nationals, excluding the United Kingdom. This is out of a total headcount of 113,270.

The November data is the most recent data available.

The potential effect on nationals and productivity of leaving the EU will be dependent on the outcome of negotiations. My Rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living here. It is the Government’s aim to get the best settlement for the UK in all areas including the healthcare system.