Coronavirus: Plea to medical professionals to return to NHS

The First Minister has issued a rallying call to anyone who has left the medical profession in the past three years to consider returning to help the fight against coronavirus.

Nicola Sturgeon shared a letter from Scotland’s chief nursing officer Fiona McQueen urging those with a range of expertise to consider rejoining the NHS on either a full or part time basis during the current public health emergency.

Sturgeon said: “Scotland’s NHS needs our help to meet the coronavirus challenge.”

Ms McQueen’s plea appealed to a range of professionals from nurses and midwives to radiographers and medical practitioners.

The letter said: “The impact on our health service may be prolonged and so we will need additional support over the coming weeks and months to ensure that we keep our workforce healthy and able to care for those who need us.

“If you have left the professional register within the last three years as a registered nurse, midwife, paramedic, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, diagnostic or therapeutic radiographer, biomedical scientist or medical practitioner then I would appeal directly to you to ask if you would be willing to return to the NHS in your professional capacity, whether as a full-time or part-time professional, now or at any point in the coming months. Any contribution you can make will be very welcome.

“The Regulatory Bodies (NMC, GMC, HCPC) have put in place processes to provide for temporary emergency registration, which will ensure you are able to work in your professional capacity within a very short period of time.”