North Ayrshire MP Patricia Gibson has blamed Brexit after new figures revealed the shortage of European doctors in the NHS.

The Government has decided to hold firm on a 7,500 cap on medical school places – even with NHS staff shortages causing delays and disruption across the UK. But even if this cap was lifted, it wouldn’t aid an ailing NHS that lacks an adequate provision of trainee doctor places, hindered significantly by the UK’s departure from the EU.

Brexit has worsened doctor shortages in the UK, according to a study published on Sunday.

Brexit shut off the “relief valve” of immigration from the European Union, worsening workforce shortages in health and social care in the UK, a report from the Nuffield Trust think tank has concluded. / Brexit’s effect has been felt particularly in specialties such as cardiothoracic surgery and anaesthesia, and in dentistry and the care sector.

It comes as figures from the NHS show there are 10,582 FTE medical vacancies across England alone. / More than 4,000 European doctors have opted not to work in the NHS following the Brexit vote in 2016, research has revealed.

Governments must acknowledge the fundamental reality that migrant workers don’t take jobs and benefits, but fill in essential labour needs

More than 4,000 European doctors have opted not to work in the NHS following the Brexit vote in 2016, research has revealed.

The impact of Brexit has only added fuel to the fire of severe challenges facing health and social care in the UK, warns the Nuffield Trust.

The U.K. has missed out on recruiting thousands of European doctors since voting to leave the economic union in 2016, research from a health thinktank suggests.

Mark Dayan assesses the impact of Brexit on the health service, looking at the effect on funding, the workforce and medicine supplies.