Thousands sign up for the midlands' 'NHS Army' to fight covid-19

Hundreds of former NHS staff have returned to the service to help fight coronavirus

More than 400 nurses and more than 200 medics, together with other healthcare professionals, will be coming back into service in the midlands to support the care for patients in NHS trusts.

They will be posted to roles according to their career and skills.

All returning staff that have signed up to the ‘NHS army’ have been given access to full induction and training material to help them hit the ground running.

The huge response follows the NHS plea for recent leavers to come back to help them to care for patients, with the call to come back remaining open to all clinical staff who left the profession during the past three years.

The General Medical Council is helping to widen the search by extending its register, so that those who left the service between four and six years ago can return to play a part too.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council is likely to announce similar measures for nurses and midwives who left the profession four or five years ago.

Steve Morrison, regional director at NHS England and NHS Improvement Midlands, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to all of our former colleagues who have returned to join the NHS fight against coronavirus.

“Our NHS teams in the midlands will benefit immensely from the wealth of experience and compassion that they are bringing back to the frontline.”