Coronavirus - bring back retired GPs to deal with crisis ...

Just spoke to a retired GP friend who said he was happy for anything behind a phone but not front line - he said that if GPs were required for front line work, then the government would have to stump up for MDU fees; and to exempt them from the appraisal/training system.

OMG SirC. That might ? me back to work, Priti that is!

Exactly - and if they don’t ‘volunteer’, what will the Govt do then? Stop their NHS pensions? Set Priti on them?

Indeedy. If OH said he would go back- I would lock him up. He has done enough- and is in a very high risk group.
The Government didn't say they would ask for 'volunteers' but that they would 'bring back retired GPs'. Volunteer if you like- your decision.

Exactly momb and that's it in a nut shell. Would need to be very recently retired doctors and nurses whose skills are up to date.

I retired 6 years ago as a GP. I would hate to return to work. I wouldn't feel safe any more. I am out of date and deskilled. My friends feel the same.

As a retired nurse I would be more than happy to help out. I shouldn't think for a moment I would be posted to the 'front line' but I am sure I can be helpful and be bloody cheerful about it.

I think it's just one of many potential plans being put forward. Time will tell if it's needed.

They’ll certainly ask for volunteers (and indeed they’re doing that already in my Board) but I don’t think they should automatically assume that a whole army of retired GPs, nurses and other frontline staff will magically appear to aid Queen and country for the reasons already given. We’re being asked to volunteer internally in the first instance so I suspect that asking retired people to step forward will be something that’s further down their list. Certainly there’s no sign of it happening here.

Any ex or current NHS staff I have spoken to say they would be happy to step into any role necessary in a national emergency. Yes, it may be problematic as regards pensions etc - but if things get really chaotic for our medical services then all of that can be sorted out later.

Would we all not be willing to help out in a crisis?

I'm retired from NHS and don't feel I was badly treated. I'm happy to volunteer to help in any capacity. As eazybee says, in time of need plenty of people will come forward to help.

The nurse I mentioned is currently employed! I thought like saying but it's your job but thought better of it. It seems to me that many retired personnel feel that they were so badly treated that they feel no alleigence. Can't say that I blame them. A better plan would be to commandeer private hospitals but I guess they will want them for themselves.

I heard a retired doctor on the radio yesterday pouring scorn on the idea that he would go back and help.
My feeling is, in the unlikely event of a national emergency, every one should help.
Just as in the war and previous emergencies there will be those whose sense of self-preservation over-rides any other consideration. Fortunately, as in previous emergencies, there will be plenty more who are concerned for the greater good.

I don't think they're being press ganged into service. Asking for volunteers seems reasonable.

A nurse on another site said she was aged 60 and didn't see why she should put herself at risk. She wanted something in writing to take to work to make her exempt. In view of the government's stated policy I didn't think that this was likely.

It could be that the recently retired GPs still have their registration and MDU cover. I gather that registration issues would be temporarily waived. I doubt they'd be for the front line. Doctors would still be needed for the routine GP stuff that will still have to go on. thus sparing the younger fitter ones for the more contagious work.
Volunteers of all sorts will still be needed to keep the wheels of care moving. I'm starting back at our local hospital as a volunteer. Its the main Corona Virus testing centre but the whole hospital has to be staffed.

BTW do you have any idea how much GPs pay per year for compulsory cover against legal issues? Up to £30.000.

Don't always agree with Nick Ferrari- but interviewing Matt Hancock today- saying the Government is concentrating efforst and ressources for those most at risk of coronav- Nick went on to ask about bringing back retired doctors to deal with the crisis. He told Hancock it makes absolutely no sense to say they will concentrate on protecting the elderly most at risk- and at the same time bring back older retired doctors who fit into that category. Clear nonsense, he said.
Yes.

Most of my colleagues were so knackered when they left the health services, so a straw poll, admittedly not representative, suggests it's not very likely especially as a) they would need upskilling and b) most are in the at risk age group, plus would need to take out professional insurance etc.

Self preservation is not selfish- if you are in the most at risk group, and suffering from conditions which make you even more at risk - after al lifetime of working such long hours and in under such stress- they would be mad to. Have you ever worked 120 + hrs a week lemon, making life and death decisions? Would I be wrong to doubt it?

OH nearly died twice because of the above- at 74, if he told me he was going back- I would tie him down!

SueDonim ??

In a national emergency I doubt that newly retired doctors would be as mercenary or selfish as many posters on here seem to think.

Doctors on aircraft are sometimes cautious to attend to sick passengers because their insurance wouldn't cover them and if something went wrong, they would be in the s**t.

I’ve seen reference today to it being ‘newly retired’ medical staff, presumably those who still have their registration and so on. Thinking of such retired staff as I know, I actually can’t imagine they’d stand back and watch people dying when they could help. A bit like the old ‘Is there a doctor in the plane?’

The terms will need to be right, of course, but surely some temporary rules could be brought in for extraordinary times?

Trouble is, pension rules means it would cost any retired doctors ££££s to work. One reason for the shortage of consultants, cancellations of operations etc is that pension rules mean experienced doctors can’t do overtime without loosing money. Sounds ridiculous but it’s true. Not sure how the government would get round that one.

I suspect they wouldn’t - not in the numbers needed. Why on earth would they put themselves at risk for no financial reward? Let’s face it, the Tories aren’t exactly the NHS’s best friend - I imagine they wouldn’t exactly run to help them and rightly so. Reap/sow.