Is the U.K.'s health system ready for Brexit?

Experts are raising fresh concerns about the impact that Brexit — however it plays out — will impact health care in the U.K. Here’s what you need to know:

• The background: It’s not clear yet what will happen with the U.K.’s exit from the European Union, which is expected to happen in late March. So public health and law experts looked at several possible scenarios, including a no-deal Brexit in which the U.K. leaves in late March without a formal agreement and a withdrawal agreement with a transition period through 2020.
• The impact: There’s very little evidence the health system is prepared for any of those scenarios, the authors say. With no deal, the supply chain for drugs, vaccines, and medical devices would likely be disrupted. That plan might also limit immigration of health workers to the U.K. The withdrawal agreement could also mean an end to U.K participation in a program that allows some residents to receive medical care in other member states free or at a low cost.
• On a related note: Last week, public health experts sent a letter to Prime Minister Theresa May warning that leaving the EU without a deal could pose serious risks to patients.