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LONDON – Britain’s public health service urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday to extend the country’s Brexit transition period or risk pushing hospitals already battling coronavirus “to the limit” in the event of a departure. no EU single market agreement.
As Britain struggles to contain an increase in coronavirus cases caused by an apparently more transmissible variant of the virus, leaders of the National Health Service (NHS) said a delay of a month would drive hospitals away from “the area. of immediate danger “.
They warned the prime minister that the “disruptive changes” brought about by a no-deal outcome would affect just as the NHS is “fighting the greatest challenge in its history during what is traditionally its busiest time of year.”
“The NHS may not be perceived as being at the Brexit negotiating table, but the disruptive shockwaves of a no-deal outcome could push the NHS’s ability to function to the limit,” said the NHS Confederation, one of the coordinating organizations of the health service. in a letter.
“As we are days from the brink, we urge you to extend the transition period by one month, buying the NHS a precious extra weeks and allowing the UK to leave the EU after a one-year transition period.” added. .
Britain formally left the EU on January 31 after five decades of integration, but a transition period during which it remains subject to the bloc’s rules ends on December 31.
Tired and exhausted
The spread of the new strain of the coronavirus in southern England, which is believed to be up to 70 per cent more transmittable, has forced border closures and threatened supply chains just as London and Brussels draw closer to the date. limit to negotiate your future trade agreements.
NHS leaders warned that the current travel chaos could be just a preview of the crisis if Britain leaves the EU without any trade deal. “If no agreement is reached, the magnitude and scope of the disruption will be of a much greater order,” they said.
The NHS faces having to make major adjustments in a short period of time, as new rules, guidance and information will be introduced from 1 January in the event of a no-deal exit from the EU.
The review would come amid a rapid rise in virus cases and a vaccine rollout that has just begun, while NHS workers are tired and exhausted, the confederation said.
Britain, which started a mass vaccination program this month, has one of the highest death rates from the virus in Europe, with more than 68,000 deaths. On Tuesday, it recorded 36,804 new infections, a record since the start of the pandemic, bringing the total to more than 2.1 million positive cases.
At a news conference Monday, Johnson declined to consider an extension of the transition period.
A government spokesman said Britain was exploring “all routes to an agreement” and added that the NHS “will prosper after the transition period.” – French Media Agency
