EU doctors 'put off applying for jobs in UK' after Brexit

Experts say EU doctors may feel uncomfortable applying for posts in the UK

A picture of EU nationals working in the NHS, which went viral last summer (PA)

European doctors may be put off applying to work in the UK following Britain's decision to leave the EU, according to experts.

Recent uncertainty surrounding the status of EU nationals in the UK could have a negative impact on the workforce, health experts have said.

Professor Jane Dacre, president of the Royal College of Physicians, told the Independent: "We depend on dedicated healthcare professionals from Europe and around the world to deliver high quality safe care. They are feeling anxious and confused about how welcome they are and will be in the future."

"We need to urgently reassure our staff about how valued they are and ensure they have the resources they need to do their jobs. If we don't value our staff and don't resource our NHS in order to deliver high quality care – then patients will suffer."

Nurses protested after bursaries were axed - then applications to join the profession slumped (Getty)

It comes after a picture of an NHS surgical team who were from around the EU was shared thousands of times online.

Junaid Masood, who posted the picture while working at Homerton University Hospital in east London, said immigration is "the backbone" of the NHS.

But a new report from the Health Foundation showed the economic fallout from leaving the EU poses serious risks to NHS finances.

The report indicated that the NHS budget could be £2.8 billion lower than currently planned for 2019-20, if the government aims to balance the books overall.

The authors concluded that if the UK is unable to join the European Economic Area, the NHS funding shortfall could potentially be as high as £28 billion by 2030-31 - £540 million a week.

Stephen Dalton, chief executive of the NHS Confederation told ITV News: "On the EU workforce that is already here, there is concern amongst that workforce as to what will happen after Article 50 is triggered and what happens two years on."

"People are planning their futures and thinking about where they want to be in two years' time and three years' time and they won't wait to find out."

It comes after a separate report found a fifth of NHS finance directors think patient care will decline in quality over the next year.

The report, from the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), highlighted concerns with growing waiting times and patients’ ability to access care, as well as potential cuts to NHS services.