UK REGISTER: EU nurse exodus blamed on Brexit uncertainty

摘要

The UK lost almost 5,000 nurses from the European Union (EU) over the past two years. With Brexit dominating the news, the number of EU nurses on the UK register fell from 38,024 in March 2017 to 33,035 this year, according to the latest Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register report. The NMC surveyed nurses who left the register in a six-month period in 2018 to understand their reasons. Of 180 EU nurses responding, 51% said Brexit had prompted them to leave the UK. RCN general secretary Dame Donna Kinnair said: 'It is inappropriate to rely on a steady stream of nurses from beyond the EU, which seems to be the plan in England in particular. 'The figures reveal a big net loss in European nurses, partly driving efforts to recruit from even further afield.' Other survey findings show the most common reason for nurses leaving was retirement, however almost a third of respondents cited stress and/or poor mental health. Professor Kinnair added: 'Politicians should be alarmed that almost one in three quit nursing because of intolerable pressure. 'They have abused the goodwill of nurses for too long and that dam is starting to burst.'