Over 50 former NHS staff return to frontline in Black Country
Dozens of former NHS workers in the Black Country have come out of retirement and returned to the frontline to tackle coronavirus.
More than 50 nurses, medics and other healthcare professionals have come back into service to support the care of patients at NHS trusts across the Black Country.
All returning staff that have signed up to the 'NHS Army' have been given access to full induction and training material to help them during the Covid-19 pandemic. They have been posted to roles according to their career and skills.
Earlier this month, NHS England and NHS Improvement Midlands announced that more than 400 nurses and more than 200 medics, as well as other healthcare professionals, would be coming back into service.
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A total of 55 retired workers have returned to the frontline and been posted to trusts in the Black Country – including 23 nurses, 12 doctors, three midwives and 17 Allied Health Professionals (AHP).
AHPs include comprise of 14 distinct occupations including occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, paramedics, physiotherapists, diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers, and speech and language therapists.
Seven nurses, five AHPs, two doctors and one midwife have returned from retirement to work at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs New Cross Hospital.
The Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust have welcomed six former AHPs, three former nurses and two former midwives.
At the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Russells Hall Hospital, six AHPs, five doctors and eight nurses have returned to work.
The trust's chief executive, Diane Wake, said: "We are very grateful for their decision to return to our trust to support healthcare colleagues during this challenging time.
"They bring a level of experience and knowledge that is a welcome addition to the teams they will be working with.
Dedication
"As with all our staff, we appreciate the effort and commitment in supporting our patients in hospital and in the community."
Four former doctors and two former nurses have returned to the frontline to work at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Sandwell and City hospitals.
And at the Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, one doctor and three nurses have returned to service during the pandemic.
Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust chief executive, Mark Axcell, said: "It is wonderful to see the dedication of recent retirees from the trust who have returned to help us battle Covid-19.
"We are so appreciative of former colleagues who are taking this opportunity to help and support our staff, patients and the community across the Black Country at this time."
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 front line.
"Our wonderful staff are doing everything within their power to manage this unprecedented global challenge but every single one of us has an important role to play in protecting our NHS heroes by washing our hands, staying home and saving lives.”
