Today, our president Professor Sir Robert Lechler PMedSci writes a letter to The Times warning of the potential impacts of a no-deal Brexit on UK medical research.
Dear Sir,
As we enter the next phase of the Brexit process under a new Conservative leader, it is essential to highlight the disastrous impact that leaving the EU without a deal would have on UK medical research and patients.
The UK’s scientific excellence is fundamental to our nation’s health and wealth. We have benefitted from decades of close engagement with European research programmes and free movement of talented European researchers. A no deal exit without an adequate replacement immigration system in place risks leaving the country with a talent deficit that could disadvantage us for years to come.
In the short-term, a “no-deal” exit will halt access to vital funding and disrupt active clinical trials – which are essential to develop new treatments. In the longer term, our participation in future EU research programmes would be threatened and our relationship with European disease monitoring systems and rare-disease networks would end. This would be devastating for patients and researchers alike.
I urge all candidates seeking to become the next Prime Minister not to risk our scientific prowess, nor our future health and prosperity by pursuing a “no-deal” exit.
Professor Sir Robert Lechler PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences
Read our previous statement on the impact of a no-deal exit on UK medical research here.
To find out more about our work around EU policy, please visit our dedicated page.