Protecting Health and Care Services from the Impact of a 'No Deal' Brexit

Part of 2. Questions to the Counsel General and Brexit Minister (in respect of his Brexit Minister responsibilities) – in the Senedd at 3:03 pm on 20 March 2019.

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Photo of Helen Mary Jones Helen Mary Jones Plaid Cymru 3:03, 20 March 2019

I'm grateful to the Counsel General for his reply. I've got particular concerns about the care workforce and the percentage of staff currently employed in care homes who are citizens of the European Union. Now, of course, they will be permitted to stay, but there are real questions about how welcome they'd feel and whether they will choose to continue to do so, particularly after a 'no deal' Brexit and the potentially hostile environment that Huw Irranca-Davies referred to earlier.

What discussions has the Counsel General had with the Minister for health, both about how we can reassure this section of the workforce that they will continue to be very welcome here in Wales, but also about the potential to recruit from beyond the European Union if we have to, in a more co-ordinated and concerted way than we've done in the past? In the past, we have had different health boards going out to, for example, the Philippines to recruit nurses and competing against each other, which seems to make very little sense. So, can he provide us some reassurance today that there is some long-term thinking going on about how we protect, particularly, the care workforce, both in terms, as I've said, of making those people who are with us now feel welcome, but also thinking about how we may need to replace them if a hard Brexit does happen?