An anti-Brexit campaign group has attacked the home secretary’s immigration policy ahead of the UK leaving the EU.

The Best for Britain campaign says the government’s plans for controlling immigration ignores the value EU workers bring to hospitals like Watford General Hospital.

The West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust currently employs 43 doctors and 207 staff from the EU.

Under the new policies, the government will only welcome people into the country if they can earn £30,000 or more.

People immigrating for lower incomes may have to get yearlong work visas.

The starting salary for a junior doctor is £27,147 and £22,128 for a nurse.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said: “Any arbitrary salary threshold will affect vast swathes of the NHS workforce coming from overseas.

“While the earlier floated figure of £30,000 a year may be reconsidered, anything close to this would have a huge knock-on effect for the health service.

“Doctors depend on a range of staff to support them to carry out their work and a salary threshold would prevent overseas workers from filling these vital roles.”

Best for Britain’s Eloise Todd took the opportunity to make the case for another referendum.

She said: “The NHS will become a very visible victim of Brexit and the consequences will reach into millions of homes.

“This announcement provides us with yet another reason why the public, armed with all the facts, need the final say.”