How corporates view the consequences of Brexit
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- Published: Tuesday, 14 February 2017 07:48
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Steve Williams, Clinical Services Director at {my}dentist, a member of the Association of Dental Groups (ADG) has debated the implications of Brexit, on the ADG website. He speculates on what some of the consequences could mean for dentistry, ‘which looks as though it is the area of NHS care that is most heavily dependent on EU graduates’.
Steve Williams said that many parts of the NHS are heavily reliant on workforce from other EU countries and work to quantify this and address the potential problems is now starting. Unfortunately, right now, nobody knows for sure how everything will pan out – it’s all guesswork and ‘what ifs’. In his article, he speculates what some of the consequences could mean for dentistry, which looks as though it is the area of NHS care that is most heavily dependent on EU graduates.
Williams comments that there are two major aspects where a hard Brexit might cause significant issues – supply of dentists in the UK and costs. ‘With regards to the former point, 17 per cent of dentists currently registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) are from Europe’.
If a decision were made to withdraw these workers from the UK, the profession would immediately lose nearly a fifth of its workforce. The effect that this would have on dentistry could be ‘devastating’, he says, ‘especially to NHS services where it is estimated that European dentists carry out as much as 30 per cent of the work.’
It is clear, he comments, that the UK dental market relies strongly on the European workforce. ‘Without them, the profession’s ability to recruit would be greatly affected’. Ultimately, though, the outcome depends on whether or not a satisfactory deal can be negotiated guaranteeing the same job security for UK nationals working abroad. Unless training places can be increased, there will be a continued need for additional European dentists throughout the UK. ‘It is hardly surprising that we are already seeing a slowdown in terms of the number of EU dentists seeking to come and work in the UK’, he comments.
Looking at cost for the dental practice, Williams says we are already seeing a ripple effect as a result of the referendum outcome. ‘Indeed, not only did the pound plummet to a 35-year low shortly after the vote – which will likely continue to fluctuate and generally worsen as we get closer to Article 50 being triggered – but the exchange rate is also extremely poor right now’. With 50 per cent of the material products used in practices currently being manufactured and purchased from Europe and America, it won’t be long before practice owners are hit by rising costs of materials and everyday consumables – if they haven’t been already. He points out that for private practices, inflation can be offset by an increase in treatment fees, but for those who offer predominately NHS services, it is not yet clear where the extra money will come from.
Another aspect that will need to be tackled, he writes, is legislation. There are a number of EU laws that affect dental practices – including regulations on tooth whitening and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide that can be used. What’s more, current EU legislation prevents the transfer of NHS contracts by any way except through the partnership route, which could change if the UK decides to create its own commissioning rules. ‘The problem is that so much legislation will require changing, that it will be several years after leaving the EU before anything will actually take effect, he remarks.
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