Brexit could SAVE lives by allowing the NHS to introduce tough new language tests, says top doctor
Clare Marx, head of the Royal College of Surgeons, said EU rules often forced the health service to accept lower standards
BREXIT could save lives by allowing the NHS to introduce tough new language tests, leading medics claim.
Clare Marx, the head of the Royal College of Surgeons, said EU rules often forced the health service to accept lower standards.
And she warned it “sometimes put patients at risk”.
She said EU regulations on language testing, professional qualifications and drug safety fell short.
It allowed medics with poor English to work in the UK.
But Miss Marx said Brexit “allows us to correct this”.
Grandad David Gray, 70, died when a German medic who could barely speak English accidentally gave him a massive painkillers overdose.
And Nigerian Dr Lucius Okere - who qualified in Italy - worked at 14 NHS hospitals even though he did not know basic phrases.
More than one in five surgeons in England is trained in the EU.
The RCS said the health service must be able to continue recruiting doctors and staff from Europe.
As part of the EU, we’ve had to accept laws and regulation on issues such as language testing of non-UK staff, professional qualifications, working time and the safety of medical devices and drugs which perhaps fell short of our own standards or hindered our ability to do our jobs to the highest safety standards
Clare Marx
But that language testing should be beefed up – so EU medics face the same checks as those coming from the rest of the world.
It also warned EU working rules had stifled training.
And that inferior medical devices and drugs are currently ending up in the UK after being approved in European countries with lower standards.
Miss Clare Marx, RCS President, said: “The public expect us to use Brexit to help, not hinder, the health service.
“As part of the EU, we’ve had to accept laws and regulation on issues such as language testing of non-UK staff, professional qualifications, working time and the safety of medical devices and drugs which perhaps fell short of our own standards or hindered our ability to do our jobs to the highest safety standards.
“Brexit allows us to correct this.”
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A Department of Health spokesman said: “We want the NHS to be the safest healthcare system in the world. Overseas workers play a vital part in making this happen and we want to see that continue, whilst at the same time training and recruiting home-grown clinicians.
“We agree that there are opportunities presented by the decision to leave the EU in raising standards of care and improving safety.
"In the meantime we have tough rules that mean employees can be language tested both when they start a job and in the period after they’ve started.”
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