BREXIT AND THE EUROPEAN MEDICAL PROFESSION

Professor Andrew Rowland
Head of the UK Delegation to the European Union of Medical Specialists

I’m here to talk to you about the impact of Brexit upon the European medical profession. Brexit means that the UK is leaving the European Union – the EU, a political entity. It clearly does not mean that the UK is leaving Europe. We’re still European and still only 33km over the English Channel from you all. Before I outline the challenges that Brexit poses to our profession and the patients we serve, I’d like to provide some context about the referendum result and the BMA.

The BMA is an apolitical organisation representing over 160,000 doctors and medical students from across the United Kingdom’s 4 nations – 2 of which, Northern Ireland and Scotland, voted to remain within the EU. The votes from Wales and England – with the bulk of the UK population residing there – were decisive and this resulted in the referendum result to leave the EU.

We did not advise our members how they should vote in the referendum as our political neutrality had to be maintained during the referendum campaign.