When people went into the voting booths on 23rd June 2016 they were faced with the choice of remaining in or leaving the EU. The reasons for each person's choice were no doubt many, varied, complex and even unfathomable. There has been quite a few attempts to understand the electorates thinking but even now I'm not sure we are any nearer knowing why the vote went the way it did.
But one thing I think we can all agree on is that nobody, not a single person among the 33 million who voted, did so in order to reduce the amount of training our doctors receive.
Yet this is seriously what is being proposed (HERE) in order to address the shortage of doctors. At present under EU rules they need to undergo five years of training. After Brexit , it is now being suggested they can qualify in three.
"Stephen Barclay, a Health Minister who voted for Brexit at the referendum in 2016, said the NHS could gain advantages from leaving the EU. But patients’ groups said the proposals could threaten safety, and warned against any “dumbing down” of training.
Mr Barclay told Friday's edition of Chopper’s Brexit Podcast he wanted to see the positives from Brexit for the NHS, criticising some of the “hysteria” around the prospect of medicine shortages if the UK leaves without a deal.
One idea being considered by ministers is to bring forward the “point of registration” at which medical students officially qualify to practise to save millions of pounds, which could be invested in training more staff.
Brexit caused a spike in the number of EU doctors returning home and the answer is to replace them with YTS trainees! This is the real Brexit "dividend". Barclay wanted to see "positives" from Brexit and I assume he thinks this is one of them. Another might be having consultations in your local butchers or ironmongers to save building new surgeries. Perhaps also not wasting money on sterilising medical equipment between operations. The possibilities are endless.
If you are unfortunate to need NHS treatment after Brexit don't be surprised if the nice young doctor that treats you was an apprentice plumber the week before.
