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| EU nurse applicants drop by 96% since Brexit vote | EU nurse applicants drop by 96% since Brexit vote |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| There has been a sharp drop in the number of nurses registering to work in the UK since the EU referendum, figures suggest. | There has been a sharp drop in the number of nurses registering to work in the UK since the EU referendum, figures suggest. |
| Last July, 1,304 nurses from the EU joined the Nursing and Midwifery Council register. | Last July, 1,304 nurses from the EU joined the Nursing and Midwifery Council register. |
| That compares with just 46 in April this year, a fall of 96%. | That compares with just 46 in April this year, a fall of 96%. |
| The Health Foundation, which obtained the figures from the NMC, said they should act as a "wake-up call" as the fall could compromise patient safety. | The Health Foundation, which obtained the figures from the NMC, said they should act as a "wake-up call" as the fall could compromise patient safety. |
| The think tank said the NHS was already struggling with nurse vacancies and, without this supply line, shortages could get worse. | The think tank said the NHS was already struggling with nurse vacancies and, without this supply line, shortages could get worse. |
| In May, research by the Royal College of Nursing found one in nine posts in England was vacant. | In May, research by the Royal College of Nursing found one in nine posts in England was vacant. |
| The union said it meant the NHS was 40,000 short of what was needed. | |
| 'On the brink' | 'On the brink' |
| The figures obtained by the Health Foundation under the Freedom of Information Act cover the numbers applying to go on the register so it does not necessarily mean they are employed by the NHS. | |
| But they give an indication of the supply line from the EU which provides a significant proportion of the workforce. | |
| Anita Charlesworth, director of research and economics at the Health Foundation, said the drop since the Brexit vote could not be more "stark". | |
| "Without EU nurses, it will be even harder for the NHS and other employers to find the staff they need to provide safe patient care. | "Without EU nurses, it will be even harder for the NHS and other employers to find the staff they need to provide safe patient care. |
| "The findings should be a wake-up call to politicians and health service leaders." | "The findings should be a wake-up call to politicians and health service leaders." |
| Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "Theresa May's weak and unstable government has pushed NHS services to the brink, and it is patients who will pay the price. | Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "Theresa May's weak and unstable government has pushed NHS services to the brink, and it is patients who will pay the price. |
| "Our health service has always relied on the contribution of overseas workers, yet these staff are being forced out by this government's neglect and disregard. | "Our health service has always relied on the contribution of overseas workers, yet these staff are being forced out by this government's neglect and disregard. |
| "The Tories are overseeing an unforgivable drain of talent out of our country, because of their chaotic attitude to the Brexit negotiations." | "The Tories are overseeing an unforgivable drain of talent out of our country, because of their chaotic attitude to the Brexit negotiations." |
| According to figures from March, there were a total of 650,000 nurses on the register. Just over 36,000 of these were trained in the EU, 5.5% of the total. Another 67,000 come from outside the EU with the rest from the UK. |