Healthcare after Brexit: Building a Research Agenda

BLS Research Seminar 

UK Health Law Outside the EU: Immediate, Intermediate and Long Term Impacts

Professor Jean McHale, Centre for Health Law Science and Policy, Birmingham Law School.

This presentation outlines the work being done through an ESRC Brexit Priority Grant which Jean McHale is undertaking as PI along with colleagues Tamara Hervey (University of Sheffield) and Mark Flear (Queens Belfast) as co-I’s. The project runs from May 2017 for an 18 month period and explores the implications of Brexit on UK Health law. The project focuses on 4 main questions First, how do the laws of the four devolved nations, UK and EU currently interact in this area? Secondly, what will the impact be upon domestic health law in the UK when the UK leaves the EU? Thirdly, how will changes to health policy and practice upon UK withdrawal from the EU be managed and what mechanisms will need to be put in place? Finally, what will be the impact on broader international law/agreements on health?  It will be addressing these in the context of 4 main areas- patients and professionals, public health, regulation of pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

This seminar explores first, how was the project created and why? Secondly, the first stages of the research undertaken under project and our initial engagement Workshops with stakeholders and provisional findings from these. Thirdly, the substantive issues explored to date and challenges both for the project and for future regulation in this area. Fourthly, research to follow and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders. Fifthly, the next stage for engagement including further workshops across the devolved jurisdictions, a conference and a Report produced along with other researchers involved in UK in a Changing Europe with launch planned in London for February 2018. Finally, it will highlight how Impact may be achieved through the project and its findings and the next steps for the researchers in what is an increasingly fraught and uncertain political climate.