Re: Would Brexit stop the flow of 1. doctors and 2. patients between EU countries?
FIRST the patients. Already the law prohibits "health care tourism." You cannot hop across tbe channel for, say, a knee implant. That leaves
i) treatment when you fall ill on a visit to a European Economic Area. Unless HMG is determined to fill the coffers of Private Health Insurance Companies and to complicate the lives of travellers both business and tourists, it would see the sense of negtiating " knock for knock" arrangements with THE ECA countries.
ii) treatment of ECA citizens when they are in England. Please see i) above.
SECOND, the flow of doctors to and from the ECA.
Clearly the GMC has agreed a blanket arrangement for registering EEA graduates/licenciates. Even if, for the sake of argument, our Parliament is too busy, or the Ministers are "not minded" to rush legislation through, the GMC could decide to Register the NEW EEA qualified doctors temporarily. Existing EEA doctors should not be affected - unless HMG decides to use them as bargaining chips. That would be foolish, akin to cutting off your nose to spite your face.
That leaves the question of our graduates, old licentiates, working in the EEA. Will they have to get out? Return home? I hope not. But much will depend on our negotiators. If they are aggressive, insulting and pompous, then there is no hope.
Rapid Response:
Re: Would Brexit stop the flow of 1. doctors and 2. patients between EU countries?
FIRST the patients. Already the law prohibits "health care tourism." You cannot hop across tbe channel for, say, a knee implant. That leaves
i) treatment when you fall ill on a visit to a European Economic Area. Unless HMG is determined to fill the coffers of Private Health Insurance Companies and to complicate the lives of travellers both business and tourists, it would see the sense of negtiating " knock for knock" arrangements with THE ECA countries.
ii) treatment of ECA citizens when they are in England. Please see i) above.
SECOND, the flow of doctors to and from the ECA.
Clearly the GMC has agreed a blanket arrangement for registering EEA graduates/licenciates. Even if, for the sake of argument, our Parliament is too busy, or the Ministers are "not minded" to rush legislation through, the GMC could decide to Register the NEW EEA qualified doctors temporarily. Existing EEA doctors should not be affected - unless HMG decides to use them as bargaining chips. That would be foolish, akin to cutting off your nose to spite your face.
That leaves the question of our graduates, old licentiates, working in the EEA. Will they have to get out? Return home? I hope not. But much will depend on our negotiators. If they are aggressive, insulting and pompous, then there is no hope.
Competing interests: Old. NHS patient