A DOCTOR says she is considering leaving the UK after the Brexit vote.

Worthing doctor Birgit Woolley, who is originally from Germany, is among the 42% of GPs surveyed by the British Medical Association (BMA) who said they were thinking of quitting the UK.

BMA research suggests four in 10 European doctors are considering leaving Britain.

The BMA warned it could spell “disaster” as the NHS was already facing “crippling staff shortages”.

About 10,000 doctors who work in the NHS – 6.6% of the UK medical workforce – qualified in Europe.

The doctors’ union polled 1,193 doctors from the European Economic Area (EEA) who are working in the UK.

They told researchers they felt “less committed” to working in the UK following the referendum.

They also felt less appreciated by the Government following the result.

“Since the result of the EU referendum I feel increasingly uncertain about my future here, and am considering returning to Germany,” said Dr Woolley, who is a partner at the Victoria Road Surgery, said.

“It is unsettling that in a country I have contributed to for 20 years and consider home I am now seen as a foreigner and have to prove that I deserve to live and work here.

“I feel supported by my patients, with even those who voted to leave telling me, ‘You can stay because you’re a doctor. We like you. We didn’t mean you.’

“But the reality is that the government does not appreciate what EU nationals like me have contributed to the UK and only sees us as bargaining chips.”

The BMA said recruiting from Europe had been vital in dealing with staff shortages in the health service.

Dr Mark Porter, chairman of council at the BMA, said: “While thousands of overseas and EU doctors work across the UK to provide the best possible care for patients, many from the EU are left feeling unwelcome and uncertain about whether they and their families will have the right to live and work in the UK after Brexit.

“These are the people who staff our hospitals and GP surgeries, look after vulnerable patients in the community and conduct vital medical research to help save lives.

“Many have dedicated years of service to healthcare, so it’s extremely concerning that so many are considering leaving.

“When the NHS is already at breaking point and facing crippling staff shortages, this would be a disaster.”