What would be the impact of ‘No Deal’ on cross border services and reciprocal healthcare?
Arrangements for the provision of specific cross border healthcare services made between the Department of Health in Northern Ireland and the Department of Health in Dublin (such as the Paediatric Congenital Heart Service or the North West Cancer Centre) should not be affected by EU Exit as they are not based on EU legislation but arrangements underpinned by memorandum of understandings and service level agreements.
The UK Government has given an aspiration to a broad continuation of reciprocal healthcare whatever the outcome of leaving the EU. Legislation has been made to enable the UK to continue to facilitate reciprocal healthcare post exit. However, it is possible in the event of a no deal exit that reciprocal healthcare arrangements may change. It is recommended that those planning a visit to an EU country after this date should continue to buy travel insurance to access healthcare, if it is needed.
In respect of Ireland, UK and Ireland have signed an overarching memorandum of understanding on the common travel area (CTA) which states that:
The CTA affords British citizens residing in Ireland and Irish citizens residing in the UK the right to access emergency, routine and planned publicly funded health services in each other’s state, on the same basis as citizens of that state.
The Department is also continuing to work with DHSC and the Department of Health in Dublin to ensure that the reciprocal healthcare rights established under the Common Travel Area are maintained following EU Exit.
Professionals working in health and social care in the UK before exit will be covered by legislation which sets out what would happen in relation to the recognition of professional qualifications obtained in the EU, in the event of a no-deal, specifically that:
- anyone who has registered using an MRPQ route before the date of exit would retain their registration
- anyone who has applied using an MRPQ route before the date of exit would be able to proceed with their application through that route including any appeals
- applications for registration after the date of exit would be considered depending on a number of factors set out in the statutory instrument.
This is mirrored in the EU by the EU commission’s guidance which states that post exit in a no deal:
- if a qualification is already recognised as valid, it will remain valid
- UK nationals who want to get their professional qualifications recognised in the EEA or Switzerland will be assessed under the rules of the individual country
- UK nationals wanting to provide temporary and occasional professional services in the EEA or Switzerland will have to do so under each country’s national policies and rules
More information on traveling or moving to live in EEA countries can be found at https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/