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Original poster

To come out of retirement for Coronavirus

254 replies

AlexaAmbidextra · 02/03/2020 22:15

Are you a retired nurse or doctor? I’m a retired nurse and there’s no way on God’s earth I’m coming out of retirement for this. Not because of the personal risk but the fact that I’m just done with working. Should I be more unselfish?

OP posts:
Ponoka7 · 03/03/2020 04:39

@jomaIone
"I don't think it really matters about speciality. Especially in nursing. Nurses are nurses!"

No they're not. The knowledge and skills can vary massively, especially when working within Infectious diseases, or with specific health conditions. Specialist Nurses have more knowledge and hands on experience than general Doctors.

Anyone whose accompanied vulnerable people with health conditions to A&E, walk in centers etc know that HCP's knowledge can be shockingly bad, including the Doctor.

You're doing Specialist Nurses a great disservice. All Nurses aren't equal.

There are plenty of 'retired' Nurses who've gone into private cosmetic/aesthetic treatments, making it worth their while to go back into general practice might be an option. Most have left because of working hours. Likewise there's Doctors doing slimming clinics etc.

I can see this government telling us to adopt the greek system of taking our own bedding and caring for our relatives ourselves.

Toomanygerbils · 03/03/2020 04:43

I wouldn’t and wouldn’t expect you to. If I collapsed on the street in front of you I’d be hoping you’d help me but that’s about it. Too late for the government now to be thinking of all the nurses it could have had without the tuition fee and loan rises

PhilCornwall1 · 03/03/2020 05:24

Whilst I don't work in healthcare or retired, I can safely say that if I did and was retired, there is absolutely no way I'd come out of retirement. I wouldn't have to and wouldn't want to.

I'd be telling them to bugger off, you have absolutely no moral duty to help out, you've done your bit.

Gooseysgirl · 03/03/2020 05:42

No effing way!! My wonderful MIL gave almost 50 years of service to the NHS... she is one of the politest women I know, and even she said BJ can go eff himself.

DropYourSword · 03/03/2020 05:48

Eh?

There’ll always be something. Why on earth would anyone come out of retirement or think they and others would be expected to?!

needsahouseboy · 03/03/2020 05:52

I wouldn’t worry about it, by the time you’ve got through the red tape you’ll not be needed.

I’ve tried to join 3 agencies, 2 different banks -hospital and community and it’s been a joke. This has been going on since Sept. one friend has totally given up joining the bank and another had to apply for a full time post to say at interview she only wanted bank and then they could process her paperwork. It’s utterly ridiculous.

MrsLCohen · 03/03/2020 06:14

Obviously only if you are under 60 as over 60s are recommended to stay at home.

MrsLCohen · 03/03/2020 06:17

You are not being selfish at all whatever age you are

RomeoLikedCapuletGirls · 03/03/2020 06:20

Bloody hell of course not! The older you get the more dangerous CV is for you.

Can’t believe they suggested this.

Stopyourhavering64 · 03/03/2020 06:30

I'm near retirement age from NHS , and I'm also on long term immunosuppressant medication for autoimmune disease , which naturally lowers my immunity . I don't currently work on the wards ( due to nature of my illness- I was off work for 7 months and on numerous medications) but if I was asked to, I would have to decline and most likely take the steps to hasten my retirement on health grounds
I don't see how the government expect retired HCP to return ...what about lapsed professional registration?.....NMC/GMC /revalidation
Crazy idea!

Igotthemheavyboobs · 03/03/2020 06:33

Has there been a warning to the over 60s to not leave their homes at present in the UK? Sorry to derail.

SnoozyLou · 03/03/2020 06:39

Oh come on OP. They're paying time and a half.

I thought that "plan" sounded presumptuous. I wouldn't have thought it sounded like an attractive proposition to many people.

okiedokieme · 03/03/2020 06:44

It depends on how this thing develops, if it's a genuine national crisis then yabu but I personally don't think it will be, I know a bit about viruses and epidemiology, my good friend works in public health too and whilst they have plans their only concern is for elderly and underlying health conditions so fit young hcps should be able to cope.

I lived where sars hit bit time then, huge fuss but it then became endemic and nobody talks about it, it's just another virus like flu

MrsLCohen · 03/03/2020 06:45

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8060905/Health-chiefs-urge-60s-avoid-crowds-coronavirus-panic-spreads.html

Sorry Daily Mail link, it also says to avoid medical appointments, but surely the retirees would be working in a medical setting

Kirkman · 03/03/2020 06:46

A newborn baby died in China.

When, because the the official figures sho no deaths, worldwide between 0-9 years

iVampire · 03/03/2020 06:46

No, there has been no such warning for over 60’S in UK, but there has been in Italy and other hotspots areas) so people are talking about it.

Even though the advice might be that no-one goes to non-essential gatherings.

But people will still be expected to continue with essential services, and keeping NHS going will be one of them.

If many staff are ill, what can be done? We can’t just import staff in these circumstances. So calling for qualified people who have left NHS (or defence medical services) to return to it is a sensible step. Because it might not be the perfect answer, but it’s the only one that exists

Noconceptofnormal · 03/03/2020 06:48

In terms of retired nurses and doctors I suppose I would be expecting them to be used for other essential services (eg people will still need to have cancer treatment, people will still end up in A&E for other reasons) allowing the existing NHS staff to deal with the Coronavirus. So not asking retirees to directly deal with coronavirus?

I get that there is still a risk that those people could be infected as well but if those risks were managed would everyone saying they wouldn't help still not help?

Would those same people saying that they wouldn't help still say that they wouldn't help if Jeremy Corbyn was pm and asking them?

Obviously no one can force anyone to do anything, but there will be people that will want to use their skills in a crisis situation, so I don't think it's a terrible idea to ask. It may only add a few hundred more hcp but every little helps. I'm sure we won't be the only country that calls on retired hcp to help.

The alternatives are being short staffed or recruiting more hcp from abroad (which then leaves their own country short of people to deal with the virus).

Apple1971 · 03/03/2020 06:50

You have done your bit for the NHS and now deserve your well earned retirement - so no I don’t think it’s fair to expect you or others to go back to work.

Even more so in light of the fact older people are more at risk from this virus.

I’m wondering when they might suggest that recently retired teachers come back to help with the inevitable staff shortages in schools of people are off Ill or isolated.

EnidBlyton · 03/03/2020 06:52

the over 60s advice came from WHO

malificent7 · 03/03/2020 06:52

The government should not have sent lots of immigrant workers packing......they see anyone who isnt working as idlers ( even if they are seriously ill or old or even having earned retirement). Yanbu op.

Helpmechangemymindsetplease · 03/03/2020 06:54

Yes - EU HCPs have left in their droves over the past three years due to how horribly unwelcoming the UK now is.

jasjas1973 · 03/03/2020 06:57

If they had an ounce of sense, they'd take year 3 nursing students and those now finishing yr 2 and suggest that they get all tuition fees paid, band 5 salary, for a years service in the NHS, before finishing studies next september (2021)

Younger, fitter, less at risk, the sort of nursing they'd be doing wouldn't be specialised as there isn't the beds in the nhs, its going to much more of a caring role.... so more HCA or SEN if your older.

Asking people in their 60s to help out is something out of Dads Army.

BUT tbh its an absolute disgrace that the UK has 25% the number of icu beds Germany or France has, far fewer doctors and nurses too.

However, UK voted for this state of affairs, so can't really blame the tories.

PhilCornwall1 · 03/03/2020 06:58

Would those same people saying that they wouldn't help still say that they wouldn't help if Jeremy Corbyn was pm and asking them?

Yep, wouldn't care what party was in government.

EvenFlo2 · 03/03/2020 06:58

I’m a medic who left the nhs due to relentless bullying from management.

I wouldn’t go back for a number of reasons but one that doesn’t seem to be mentioned is the fact that we are expected to work within our competencies, if we work beyond this and a mistake happens we will almost certainly be hauled over the coals with no protection from our own union. No thank you.

OrangeCinnamon · 03/03/2020 06:58

I'm fairly sure there are other alternatives e.g armed forces, st johns, red cross etc

Let's hope so anyhow. I'm graciously putting the comment from Boris down as a blustery mistake

@Noconceptofnormal that is a bizarre statement to make about Corbyn asking Confused