Health Care Workforce Immigration to the UK After Its European Union Membership Referendum

In this cross-sectional study, the Brexit referendum’s policy uncertainty produced a sustained decline in EU-origin health care worker immigration, partially offset by recruitment from non-EU countries. This substitution did not prevent increases in physician vacancies and persistent nursing shortfalls, underscoring the sensitivity of health workforce supply to migration policy. Policymakers considering similar restrictions should account for anticipatory effects, substitution dynamics, and potential consequences for global health equity.

Corresponding Author: Hao Yu, PhD, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Landmark Center, 401 Park Dr, Ste 401 East, Boston, MA 02215 (hao_yu@hphci.harvard.edu).

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