‘Extraordinary’ doctors return to the frontline
Health secreatary praises those willing to come out of retirement
Retired doctors will be returning to the Royal Alexandra Hospital to help treat patients amid the coronavirus crisis.
More than 1,200 doctors across Scotland have been given temporary registration by the General Medical Council to return to their roles within the NHS to help tackle increased demand for services during the pandemic.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde confirmed staff will be returning to the Paisley hospital and other hospitals in the health board area depending on demand in certain fields.
However, it could not confirm the number of retired NHS staff which would be assigned to the RAH.
More than 3,000 retired Scottish nurses, doctors and other medical workers volunteered to return to work as part of efforts to help the NHS withstand the coronavirus outbreak.
Almost 12,000 doctors have been called back into action across the UK to help any hospitals struggling with demand for services.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said the health service’s response to the crisis had been “extraordinary” as she announced a series of measures to get it through the coming weeks.
These include plans to quadruple the NHS intensive care unit (ICU) capacity to 700 beds, open dedicated coronavirus assessment centres and suspend hospital car-parking charges.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Last week the General Medical Council wrote out to 15,000 doctors across the UK who had left the register or given up their licence to practise in the last three years.
“As of today, 11,865 of those doctors have been given temporary registration, of whom 1,211 are in Scotland.”
A health board spokesman confirmed retired staff will be working in a wide range of medical fields, depending on their specialism.
He added: “We are in the process of engaging a number of retired staff but they will be deployed within different hospitals and services across NHSGGC depending on demand.”
As of today, 11,865 of these doctors have been given temporary registration