The Brexit threat to emergency services

“Why the Journal of Paramedic Practice?” I was asked when I applied for the job of Editor. Easy: to me it is the most vital and exciting field of healthcare. Paramedics are the first point of professional contact in an emergency, where the time available to respond efficiently and make an informed decision in the best interest of the patient leaves little margin for error.

Considering these demands of the profession at the point of action, I believe that documentation of paramedical research and professional experience becomes even more important for improving the quality of care provided. Well, the pitch worked, and I now have the honour of working on this journal that is so revered among paramedics.

And it is a pivotal time for the profession. With Britain's planned exit from the EU, and financial pressures on the NHS, healthcare will be among the sectors most affected because of this socio-political upheaval. The Government has dropped distasteful hints that future of EU migrants in the UK will be a bargaining chip in Brexit negotiations.