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Sturgeon: Brexit could have 'profound consequences' for NHS Sturgeon: Brexit could have 'profound consequences' for NHS
(about 4 hours later)
Nicola Sturgeon has argued that the UK leaving the European Union could put the NHS and workers' rights at risk.Nicola Sturgeon has argued that the UK leaving the European Union could put the NHS and workers' rights at risk.
Speaking at the Royal College of Nursing's annual congress in Glasgow, the first minister said the referendum result could have "profound consequences" for health services.Speaking at the Royal College of Nursing's annual congress in Glasgow, the first minister said the referendum result could have "profound consequences" for health services.
The Leave campaign claims the NHS is threatened by "damaging EU rules". The Leave campaign claim a Remain vote could cost Scotland's NHS £600m a year.
Meanwhile, BBC Scotland is to host an EU referendum debate in a special edition of Reporting Scotland.Meanwhile, BBC Scotland is to host an EU referendum debate in a special edition of Reporting Scotland.
The debate, chaired by Glenn Campbell, will pit Remain supporters Kezia Dugdale and Joanna Cherry against Brexit-backers Michael Forsyth and Jim Sillars.The debate, chaired by Glenn Campbell, will pit Remain supporters Kezia Dugdale and Joanna Cherry against Brexit-backers Michael Forsyth and Jim Sillars.
Ms Sturgeon told the RCN conference that the referendum could have "profound consequences for the future of the health service right across the UK."Ms Sturgeon told the RCN conference that the referendum could have "profound consequences for the future of the health service right across the UK."
She said: "The EU is not perfect, but our membership brings significant benefits, such as the protection of employment rights; the right to paid maternity, the right to paid holidays and not working more than 48 hours a week, and the right to not be discriminated against.She said: "The EU is not perfect, but our membership brings significant benefits, such as the protection of employment rights; the right to paid maternity, the right to paid holidays and not working more than 48 hours a week, and the right to not be discriminated against.
"All of these are protected by the EU. I wouldn't fancy leaving them in the hands of David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage."All of these are protected by the EU. I wouldn't fancy leaving them in the hands of David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage.
"I wish that people like Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage just once could acknowledge the contribution migrant workers make to our NHS, rather than demonising them at every turn."I wish that people like Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage just once could acknowledge the contribution migrant workers make to our NHS, rather than demonising them at every turn.
"The idea that the NHS could fall into the hands of people to the right of George Osborne and Jeremy Hunt fills me with horror.""The idea that the NHS could fall into the hands of people to the right of George Osborne and Jeremy Hunt fills me with horror."
'Deceitful' claims
The Vote Leave campaign has claimed that Britain would have more money to spend on the EU if it votes to leave.The Vote Leave campaign has claimed that Britain would have more money to spend on the EU if it votes to leave.
However, Ms Sturgeon dismissed the idea that those leading the Leave campaign would choose to increase NHS spending was "deceitful and contemptible", adding that "to protect the NHS, we need to vote to remain". Ms Sturgeon dismissed the idea that those leading the Leave campaign would choose to increase NHS spending was "deceitful and contemptible", adding that "to protect the NHS, we need to vote to remain".
Elsewhere in referendum campaigning, Leave campaigner Gisela Stuart, herself an immigrant to the UK, told BBC Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that the current immigration system was unfair. However, Tom Harris, director of Scottish Vote Leave, said Ms Sturgeon was "sticking her head in the sand" by "ignoring the pressures on local health services that would result from a Remain vote".
She said: "When I came it was movement of workers. I had a skill; I'd done an apprenticeship, someone wanted that, and it was five years before I had the right to live and remain. And you had a system where it wasn't unfairly allowing a big bloc of 500 million people to be here irrespective of skills. He said: "Research releases show that if existing levels of EU net migration continue, NHS Scotland will require an additional £309m per year by 2030 to maintain current funding levels.
"What I say is that if you want to plan your public services, if you want to have consent of the voters then you need to be fair to everyone, and the current system isn't." "But since migration is expected to climb far higher due to the introduction of the UK living wage and the accession of the new EU member countries, NHS Scotland may require well over half a billion pounds extra by 2030 - £624m per year - to maintain current funding levels."
The Labour MP continued: "The key point is that if you discriminate against people who are not within the EU then you will find that the mix of migration is wrong. In Scotland for example even movement of labour did not address your skills shortage, you still got it." Mr Harris also claimed that if Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey were able to join the EU by 2020, Scotland would need an additional 834 extra doctors and 2,967 more nurses.
Ms Stuart said there was an "inherent unfairness" in discriminating between EU and non-EU migrants, and said the number of migrants entering the country should depend on the state of the economy. However, these figures were challenged by former Chief Medical Officer for Scotland Prof Harry Burns, a member of the Scotland Stronger in Europe campaign, who said they were "simply wrong".
She said: "We've ended up with a points system for non-EU members that is so tough that it actually deprived us of some of the skilled people who we need. An equal, level playing field for everyone, that is fair."