LEADING Brexiters have said there is ‘no evidence’ that Brexit has contributed to a fall in EU workers joining the NHS in East Lancashire.

Data shows that the number of people joining the NHS in the area has fallen since the decision to leave the EU.

Just seven people have joined East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) since Brexit, which compares to 28 in 2014/15 and 29 in 2015/16.

While the number of people joining ELHT of all nationalities has decreased also, from 768 in 2014/15, to 928 in 2015/16 and 480 in 2016/17, according to the figures from the BBC’s shared data unit.

Unions and health campaigners have blamed the fall on the uncertainties which Brexit has brought upon the status of EU nationals in the UK, with East Lancashire’s patients’ champion Russ McLean describing the figures as ‘tragic’.

But vote leave campaigners have dismissed these claims and blamed the EU for creating ‘uncertainty’.

Paul White, former North West regional director for Vote Leave, and a Pendle councillor, said: “The numbers arriving have dropped, and that’s not helped by the uncertainty the EU are creating.

“There making things uncertain for their own people, when instead we should have moved towards certainty for EU citizens. They’re trying to hold the UK to ransom.”

He said Brexit also presented an opportunity for the UK to grow home-grown talent and for the government to focus on NHS recruitment.

Figures, which show that the overall total of leavers is lower in East Lancashire, with ELHT having 12 EU leavers this year compared to 22 in 2014/15, were also welcomed by Brexiters.

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson said he had raised the issue with the chief executive of ELHT Kevin McGee, who said there was ‘no evidence’ of a Brexit impact locally.

Mr Stephenson said that there are now 99 extra doctors and 192 extra nurses working in East Lancashire hospitals compared to 2010.

While Rossendale and Darwen MP Jake Berry said no one who has worked in the NHS in Lancashire has raised concerns in relation to Brexit.

ELHT said that they have undertaken a number of international projects, which include the successful recruitment of a number of qualified registered nurses from the Philippines, which has seen a settled Filipino nursing community working and living in the area.