Leaders at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital are taking new measures to support their substantive staff from EU countries.

This follows a decision by the Home Office plans to provide health workers with new rights to gain status to remain in the United Kingdom. EU citizens and their family members living in the UK are able to apply for this through a new ‘Settlement Scheme’.

Permanent contracted workers in the health and social care sector have the opportunity to access this scheme early, and apply for settled status, before it is opened up to the general population from March 2019.

Settled status will enable certain EU citizens to have unrestricted rights to remain and a UK passport once they have been living in the UK continuously for five years.

The Orthopaedic is actively encouraging EU staff to apply for the scheme and as a gesture of that support, will be reimbursing the application fee of £65 for substantive EU staff who choose to apply.

Mark Brandreth, chief executive said: “Our EU staff are an essential and valued part of our workforce. We appreciate the contribution they make to high quality patient care, and want them to continue to work here at the Orthopaedic.

“Some staff have told us how unsettled they have felt and how unsure they have been about the future following the Brexit vote. We hope that the support we are offering will encourage them to have a confident future in our county.”