Brexit three years on: Health and the NHS are still suffering

Three years ago, on 31 January 2020, the British flags that had flown outside European Union buildings for over 40 years were lowered. The then prime minister Boris Johnson had “got Brexit done.” Except he hadn’t. As we now know, he had agreed to a withdrawal agreement, covering the rights of EU citizens in the UK, the UK’s financial obligations, and arrangements on the island of Ireland. He did so in the knowledge that, at least with respect to Ireland, he had no intention of adhering to the agreement and the quest for an alternative solution remains as elusive as ever.1 Meanwhile, there is growing recognition among those who voted for Brexit that they were lied to and the promised “sunlit uplands” are nowhere to be seen.2 The “opportunities,” such as trade deals with other parts of the world, have revealed just how powerless the UK now is.3 A clear majority of the British public, 62% as of January 2023, now think that Brexit was a mistake.4 And this is before many of the provisions of the Trade …