The care sector could end up losing as many as 70,000 staff by 2025/26 if migration of unskilled workers from the EU is halted after Brexit, a health services think tank has warned.

The Nuffield Trust says there has been a dramatic rise in the number of workers migrating from the European continent and by last year almost a third of newly-registered nurses in the UK had trained in the European Economic Area.

It says there must be either a commitment to allow a substantial number of nurses to enter the UK after Brexit or to increase the number of places for training courses here.

The trust also warns the NHS could face a huge £500m bill if retired British people now living in other EU countries return to the UK after Brexit.

The figure could be even higher if the NHS has to pay to replace staff as a result of EU staff leaving the UK or if it faces a rise in the cost of medicines.

Mark Dayan, the Nuffield Trust’s policy and public affairs analyst, said: ‘The NHS and social care were already under pressure from tight funding settlements and growing staffing problems well before the EU referendum last year.

‘But if we handle it badly, leaving the EU could make these problems even worse, given the potential impact on both the strength of the UK economy and the supply of overseas staff to both health and social care services.’