Sara Belo, 26, tells her story about going through the settled status process, which allows EU residents who have continuously lived in the UK for five years or more to work in the UK and use the NHS, among other things.
At the same time, she is studying to progress her career at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Originally from Portugal, Sara has been living in the UK for 10 years and originally thought the process would be simple.
However, this is not the case. She describes it as a scary, prolonged process and she must fulfil several demanding requirements.
Not only is her future in this country now uncertain, but she also has to undergo a difficult exam to progress her career in the NHS. According to the Nuffield Trust, 1 in 12 posts across the NHS are currently vacant in hospitals.
Authors:
Daniel Hall,
Alice Wilson,
Austen Shakespeare,
Cameron Twinn
Michael Hall