EU exit advice

The Department of Health and Social care leads national NHS preparations and we have worked closely with local and regional health and care providers to ensure minimal disruption to services.

Plans in Gloucestershire

National and local plans are in place to ensure that patients continue to receive treatment as necessary and to minimise any disruption to service provision that may arise. We have no plans to cancel appointments or operations and you should continue attending hospital appointments as usual, unless you are directly contacted by the Trust.

Medicines

Plans are in place to ensure that there is enough stock of medicines in reserve, to cover any initial period of disruption that arises. Our aim is to ensure that you continue to receive your prescriptions as usual but if there is any risk of reduced supply, plans to address this will be enacted. It’s not uncommon for stocks of medicine and equipment to run low from time to time, and healthcare staff are already familiar with the steps needed to ensure you continue getting what you need.

You should continue to order repeat prescriptions as usual and importantly do not attempt to “stockpile” your medicines by either over ordering, which could put others at risk of not receiving their medicines or reducing the quantity or frequency of your prescribed medicines which could put you at risk.

EU settlement scheme

NHS staff from the EU make a substantial contribution to health and social care services across the UK. Everything possible is being done to ensure they can to continue work in the NHS. The EU Settlement Scheme is open to all EU citizens, including NHS staff, and can allow EU nationals to gain ‘settled’ or ‘pre-settled status’. The Settlement Scheme will allow EU nationals to continue to live and work in the UK beyond June 2021, meaning they will not need to apply for visas when the new immigration system takes effect. The scheme will also lock in the rights of EU nationals, meaning they will be able to access healthcare, benefits and other government services in the same way they currently do. If any NHS staff from the EU have not already done so, they should apply to the EU Settlement Scheme and can do this up until 30 June 2021.