London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

Brexit uncertainty raises NHS concerns

Public Health Wales says there could be disruption to medical supplies and price hikes on food.

Disruption from Brexit could have an adverse effect on people's health and welfare, especially for vulnerable groups, a report has said.

Public Health Wales is concerned about the "likely disruption" to medical supplies and the impact of any price hikes on things like food.

It adds to concerns from January over possible problems recruiting workers.

On Thursday, Number 10 said the prime minster and his Irish counterpart could see a "pathway to a possible deal".

Talks with Boris Johnson were "very positive", according to the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Mr Johnson has said he wants to agree a deal, but will take the UK out of the EU "do or die" on 31 October.

A negative impact of Brexit on food supply, food standards and environmental regulation - including air quality and bathing water - has increased from possible to probable, according to the report.

However, it does suggest there would be dividends, such as lower house prices and a weak pound boosting exports.

NHS Wales is already stockpiling supplies for care homes and hospitals in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The Public Health Wales document examines the potential effects of Brexit on the short, medium and long-term health and well-being of people living in Wales.

Regarding health workers, it said: "Ongoing uncertainty around immigration rules and rights of migrants living and working in the UK is likely to affect recruitment and retention in Wales."

Johnson and Varadkar 'can see pathway to a deal'


Law to replace EU farm subsidies delayed


Care homes part of no-deal Brexit warehouse plan


In Wales, it is estimated at least 1,462 EU nationals are directly employed by the NHS - 1.6% of the workforce.

Another 6.4% of staff in registered social care settings in Wales are EU nationals - estimated at about 2,900 workers, mostly in residential care.


Analysis by Cemlyn Davies, BBC Wales political correspondent


This report paints a worrying picture of what Brexit could mean for Wales.

It says the potential negative impacts significantly outweigh the positives and the likelihood of certain problems happening has increased since PHW's last report on the matter.

But that's because the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit has increased since then too, with Boris Johnson insisting the UK will leave the EU at the end of October "do or die".

Many of the fears expressed in the report around the availability of food and medicines may be dismissed by Brexit-supporters as scare-mongering or short-term inconveniences.

But it should be noted this report also points to possible - if limited - Brexit dividends.

And despite Mr Johnson's pledge to leave on the 31st, he's required by a law to seek a Brexit extension to avert no-deal if an agreement hasn't been approved by next weekend.

On access to medication, it said there was "evidence to support the likely disruption to supply chains of medicines and medical devices, in the case of a no-deal exit, which has become increasingly likely".

The report also said there was also some evidence people's mental health was being affected by Brexit, especially those in farming communities which can be reliant on subsidies.

"The scale of uncertainty facing farming communities, some of which is directly linked to Brexit, has been identified as increasing anxiety and impacting on the mental well-being of this population group," said the report.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
×