Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, has announced that thousands of new NHS reservists will be recruited to support the health service as staff tackle backlogs.
Pritchard has urged the public to enlist as an NHS reservist, with a wide range of opportunities available, including assisting people who are being discharged from hospital or as part of the NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme.
A new website has been created for people to register their interest, including people who are interested in embarking on a career in the NHS or former staff who might want to return. Local hospitals and NHS services can then call on the ‘NHS reservist community’ depending on their staffing requirements and pressures in their area, creating a bank extra resource for when it is needed.
Since its initial pilot launch at five sites last year, more than 17,000 people have joined up.
Latest figures show there are more than 1.3 million people working for the NHS in England, almost 50,000 more than the previous year. This includes over 21,000 more professionally qualified clinical staff.
Pritchard said: “Along with the whole country, NHS staff have had a challenging few years – they have worked incredibly hard to care for over 600,000 people in hospital with Covid, kept routine services going for people who needed them and helped the entire country get back to normal with the successful rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme.
“Their outstanding work has rightly inspired thousands of people who want to join us in delivering care for millions of people, which is why we are introducing this new drive for NHS reservists. Reservists will help us in our time of need but also help those who want a rewarding career in the health service – the roles are flexible and can fit around your lifestyle.
“The challenges for the NHS are far from over – and as we now pull out all the stops to recover services, we once again need the public’s support. So if you want to help your community by helping your local NHS – search NHS Reservists today – your NHS needs you.”
