Recognising the contribution that nursing staff from other countries in the EEA make to health care in the UK
As part of our commitment to supporting our members from other EEA countries and getting the Government to recognise their rights, we are showcasing the the personal accounts we receive from you. Related RCN guidance and briefings are also available from here.
I came to UK in 2009 after qualifying in Portugal and started working as staff nurse in one of the eight hyper-acute stroke units that opened at that time. Stroke services in London were being re-developed and I had the opportunity to contribute to that important agenda alongside many other nurses from the EU.
Seven years on and I'm now a Stroke Clinical Nurse Specialist and a member of the RCN Neuroscience Forum Committee, improving the lives of people who have strokes locally, regionally and nationally. The Government should recognise my right to remain in the UK, along with my EU nursing colleagues, as our contribution to leading, shaping and delivering health and care services is needed now more than ever.
*The European Economic Area (EEA) includes all EU countries as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
