Give EU care workers post-Brexit priority or risk forcing women out of work, ministers warn
2 min read
Care workers from the EU must have priority under any post-Brexit migration system or British women face having to quit their jobs to look after ageing relatives, ministers have warned.
Under a “worst case scenario”, where EU migrants are barred from coming to the UK, officials say there will be a shortfall of 6,000 doctors, 12,000 nurses and 28,000 care staff within five years.
In a 37-page dossier, seen by the Daily Telegraph, the Department of Health says the need for “informal care” poses a “wider risk to labour market participation”, in particular to women.
The report states: “The risks to EEA workforce supply need to be considered in the context of continued rising demand across the health and care system.
“Considering rising life expectancy, population structural changes as well as increases in the number of people living with one or more long-term conditions, there are significant demand implications for the health and social care workforce.
“Unless we ensure such demand is met, there is a wider risk to labour market participation more generally, especially when considering increasing social care needs.
"If we fail to meet social care needs adequately we are likely to see a decrease in labour market participation levels, especially among women, as greater numbers undertake informal care.”
The report comes ahead of next month’s independent Migration Advisory Committee report, which is expected to shape Britain’s migration policy after it quits the European Union next year.
It adds that it is “vitally important that any approach to migration prioritises the health and care sector.”
“Migration will need to continue to play a vital role in meeting future demand and providing a means of ensuring flexible supply in response to changes in demand for health and care,” the document says.
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