‘All hands on deck’ call to help Fife health services through winter
and live on Freeview channel 276
The region’s A&E departments are under severe pressure with more people attending than normal, and staff are being deployed to manage the backlog.
The call for support came from Annabelle Ewing SNP MSP for Cowdenbeath - and she suggested bringing back retired staff to help.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe issue of the pressure facing health services as it continue sto work under pandemic restriction.
Ms Ewing said: “Given we are indeed in the midst of a global pandemic with unprecedented pressures right across the service, including resultant pressures on our ambulance service, I asked the Cabinet Secretary whether he agreed that it was time for all hands on deck in the NHS.
“By this I meant bringing back on to the wards nurses currently in NHS management and educational roles, thereby avoiding the situation we have been recently seeing with theatre nurses and operating department practitioners being redeployed from key and vital roles.”She added: “I was pleased to hear that process was indeed already underway, as it has been within the ambulance service where clinically-trained staff have bene taken off support roles and redeployed.
“The Cabinet Secretary also informed me that he has been working with the appropriate bodies to think about a call to arms for those retired staff who responded so well at the beginning of the pandemic to see if they can come back and help with what may well be the most challenging winter the NHS has ever faced.”