"Diseases do not recognise borders."
Who knew that the UK leaving the EU could leave Brits at risk of contracting super-gonorrhoea?
That's the warning from health chiefs, who say infectious diseases could spread more rapidly if the UK doesn't maintain a close working relationship with European health bodies following Brexit.
Tracking outbreaks requires collaboration between the UK and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
However, unless the UK has continued access to ECDC systems after Brexit, there could be a "significant threat" to public health.
Speaking to the Evening Standard, CEO of the NHS Confederation, Niall Dickson, said:
"At the moment our strongest concern is the huge level of uncertainty. We are just not clear where this is all going to land."
"The only positive is that we can say this is not only about UK patients, it is about European patients who would be affected as well."
"It is in everyone’s interest to maximise cooperation. Diseases do not recognise borders. We need to put political interests behind the interests of patients in the EU and UK."
