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Embargoed until: 00.01hrs, Wednesday 1 March 2017

TUC analysis reveals risk to NHS and social care in the East Midlands from loss of thousands of EU workers

- 9,000 NHS and adult social care workers in the East Midlands risk losing their right to live and work in the UK after Brexit
- Government should unilaterally confirm right to remain in the UK for EU residents, says TUC

The TUC has today (Wednesday) published analysis that reveals how many NHS and adult social care workers in the East Midlands could lose their right to live and work in the UK after Brexit.

Of these 2,741 work in the NHS and 6,300 in adult social care services.

The TUC says that the government’s refusal to confirm that EU workers can stay is putting NHS patients at risk, along with older and disabled people who use adult social care.

With cuts to bursaries for health professionals leading to fewer UK workers training for key roles in the NHS, the TUC says Ministers need a plan to prevent staff shortages. The plan must set out how current workers will be retained, as well as how more UK workers will be recruited. And it should stop care work being a byword for low-paid, zero hours jobs with little opportunity for progression.

TUC Regional Secretary Lee Barron said: “The government is creating appalling uncertainty for thousands of NHS workers and care workers. It’s a terrible way to treat dedicated public servants in the East Midlands. And if Brexit means they have to leave, the health and social care services in our area will struggle to cope.

“The Prime Minister should guarantee EU citizens living and working here the right to remain in the UK – and she should do it now, ahead of negotiations. It’s the right thing to do. And it will regain some of the goodwill Britain needs to negotiate the best possible Brexit deal for people in the East Midlands.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:
- EEA migrant adult care workers and NHS workers in English regions

Region

Adult social care

NHS

Total number workers (rounded)

Number

% of workforce

Number

% of workforce

East of England

11,700

8%

6,554

6.0%

18,300

East Midlands

6,300

5%

2,741

3.0%

9,000

London

21,600

13%

18,528

9.8%

40,100

North East

1,400

2%

1,089

1.5%

2,500

North West

6,000

3%

5,098

2.7%

11,000

South East

22,300

10%

9,542

6.1%

31,800

South West

11,200

8%

5,450

4.2%

16,700

West Midlands

5,500

4%

3,242

2.5%

8,700

Yorks and Humber

4,200

3%

2,741

2.1%

6,900

All England

90,200

7%

54,985

4.5%

145,200

Notes on chart:

1.Data sources are ‘The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England, 2016’ – Skills for Care, and ‘Staff groups by nationality and HEE region, September 2015’ – NHS Digital.

2.These figures provide estimates based on allocating Wessex Health Education area numbers of staff on a 50/50 split between the South East and the South West regions.

- All TUC press releases can be found at tuc.org.uk/media
- TUC Press Office on Twitter: @tucnews

Contacts:
TUC Press Office  T: 020 7467 1248  E: media@tuc.org.uk
Tim Nichols  T: 020 7467 1388  E: tnichols@tuc.org.uk

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