Calderdale health services can cope with staff impact after Brexit in the short term

But in terms of medicine services had to be careful not to fall into the trap of over-ordering, they had been advised.

Longer term impact on staffing issues when the United Kingdom leaves the European Union will be more challenging, Chief Officer of NHS Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group, Dr Matt Walsh, told members of Calderdale Health and Wellbeing Board.

Dr Walsh said the group had done as much as it could to anticipate Brexit, with the United Kingdom still scheduled to leave the European Union on March 29.

Services including adult social care and NHS Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust had worked together on the issue.

Across health and social services in Calderdale, EU nationals make up a proportion of staff.

For example, the NHS nationally says EU staff will need to apply to the Home Office EU Settlement Scheme to stay in the UK after December 31, 2020, on the current timetable.

Dr Walsh said services were also doing all they could to ensure food supplies were secure in worst case scenarios.

In terms of medicine and other medical supplies, a lot of work had been done nationally.

“The advice to local systems is not to fall into the trap of over-ordering,” he said.

Dr Walsh concluded: “Collectively, we need to be clear that while we do what is possible nationally, there are significant changes in patterns of prescribing in response to this.”

Chief Executive of Calderdale Council, Robin Tuddenham, said the authority was doing all it could to prepare for Brexit.

Councils were working together as an area within the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, of which Calderdale is part, which had spoken to Ministers on behalf of the Yorkshire and Humber region.

“We are doing all we can to hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” he said.

“That means having conversations at national level and regional level.

“We will see a lot of information about technical advice to businesses and communities – that’s based on the worst case scenarios.

“We are preparing as best we can.”

Mr Tuddenham said he had met with Managing Director of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Martin Hathaway, and businesses were concerned about what was going to happen.

“We are realistic and pragmatic but uncertainty at this stage is not good for business,” he said.

Practical steps were being taken as some businesses will not be able to operate as they do now without advice, in a worst case scenario, said Mr Tuddenham.

Police representative to the board, Chief Superintendent Richard Whitehead, said nationally, regionally and locally police were working on security issues and a strategic structure was in place to deal with any tension.