What Next for Our Port Health Professionals? A lot!

Yesterday afternoon, Jacob Rees-Mogg, our Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency produced his latest statement detailing that the physical Brexit border checks on all EU food and animal product imports will be delayed once again and replaced with a potential new system that may not come into effect till the last quarter of 2023!

 

What about the countless employees Local Authorities have hired to help implement changes to their ports following the guidance from the powers above?

 

Fear, not EHO’s! Although this startling news is unforeseen and has come out of the blue, I believe that there will be a silver lining that can come from this in regard to the employment market.

 

I know what you must be thinking, surely if there are no longer requirements with the ports, what do I do to earn a living?

Well, that would be a “redeployment” of some sorts moving into the council’s food safety teams.

 

With the Covid-19 pandemic not being as prevalent as it once was 2 years ago, “normal life” is returning slowly resulting in food establishments now operating in full force and as a must, will be in need of monitoring their food safety to the public.

 

Not only this but the changes to the regime will hopefully provide a well thought out plan for managing the UK’s ports in a post-Brexit world!

 

Let’s see what the future holds in the coming weeks/months.

 

Ricky Sharpe

Lead Consultant – Environmental Health (Commercial), Licensing and Town Planning