Protecting the health of citizens and patients across the UK and EU: priorities for a future relationship
This briefing sets out the Brexit Health Alliance’s priority areas for negotiations on the future relationship between the UK and the EU, in order to protect the health and wellbeing of citizens and patients across the UK and Europe.
The Brexit Health Alliance welcomes the broad aims of the deal that the Prime Minister negotiated with the EU prior to the general election. These aims largely support the key interests of patients in the UK and the EU. However, refining the future relationship in the second phase of negotiations will be critical to safeguard patients and the UK’s health and care sector.
As this briefing makes clear, a close cooperative relationship with the EU across trade in medicines and medical devices, health security and research is the best way to keep patients safe and continue to offer an excellent level of health and care services.
For this continued, close cooperative relationship to be possible, rapid agreement across the following areas is required:
- cooperation to align regulations and customs arrangements that maintain availability of safe medicines and medical devices for patients and population health
- preservation of reciprocal healthcare arrangements to ensure simple and safe access to healthcare for UK and EU citizens travelling in the region
- full UK participation in European research, so that UK patients continue to benefit from the latest developments in treatment and innovation
- making continued collaboration and data sharing on health security a priority in the negotiations to protect citizens across Europe from threats that know no borders.
