<P> The plan to exit the European Union will affect physicians from EU countries, about 11% of the physician workforce . Many of these physicians feel unwelcome and are considering leaving the UK if Brexit happens, as they have doubts that they and their families can live in the country . A survey suggests 60% are considering leaving . Record numbers of EU nationals (17,197 EU staff working in the NHS which include nurses and doctors) left last year . The figures, put together by NHS Digital, lead to calls to reassure European workers over their future in the UK . EU nurses registering to work in the UK are down 96% since the Brexit vote aggravating shortages of nurses . Janet Davies of the Royal College of Nursing, said, "We rely on the contributions of EU staff and this drop in numbers could have severe consequences for patients and their families . Our nursing workforce is in a state of crisis . Across our health service, from A&E to elderly care, this puts patients at serious risk ." </P> <P> The NHS was severely stretched in winter 2016 - 17 and there are fears the situation could be worse in 2017 - 18 . Chris Hopson of NHS Providers wrote in summer 2017, "Worryingly, 92% of trusts reported a lack of capacity in primary care to manage next winter; 91% a lack of capacity in social care; 80% a lack of capacity in mental health services; 76% a lack of community service capacity; 71% a lack of acute hospital capacity and 64% a lack of ambulance capacity . Only 57% of trusts were confident they could provide safe and high quality care this winter ." England, Wales and Northern Ireland missed every one of their three key targets (cancer care, operations and A&E) over 18 months . Patients are waiting longer for treatment . 6,932 patients waited more than 3 hours in A&E in October 2010, but this rose to 45,532 patients in October 2017 . NHS Improvement also fears the NHS will be more severely overstretched in 2017 - 18 than it was the previous winter though the British Red Cross declared the state of UK hospitals in 2016 - 17 a humanitarian crisis . </P> <P> Social care will cost more in future according to research by Liverpool University, University College London, and others and higher investment are needed . Professor Helen Stokes - Lampard of the Royal College of GPs said, "It's a great testament to medical research, and the NHS, that we are living longer--but we need to ensure that our patients are living longer with a good quality of life . For this to happen we need a properly funded, properly staffed health and social care sector with general practice, hospitals and social care all working together--and all communicating well with each other, in the best interests of delivering safe care to all our patients ." </P> <P> Rising social costs have led to a significant increase in the time between patients being declared "medically fit" and finding social care placements in many cases . </P>

Who runs the day to day operations of the national party