6 Apr 2020

Thousands sign up for front-line NHS duty

Almost 4,000 veterinary professionals have already registered their names to work on hospital wards in support of their colleagues in the NHS.

author_img

James Westgate

Job Title



Thousands sign up for front-line NHS duty

Thousands of veterinary professionals have already answered the call of the NHS and signed up to work on hospital wards across the UK.

Last Friday, Vet Times revealed vet Jo Hillard was coordinating a national effort after being asked to find vets and vet nurses to work as “bedside support workers” for several hospital trusts battling the pandemic.

Front line

Within 48 hours of a Facebook group being created to gather names, almost 4,000 vets, VNs and veterinary students had signed up to join the front line fight against the coronavirus.

Dr Hillard has also revealed the group is now in contact with as many as 50 hospital trusts – including those in London, Wales, Liverpool, Birmingham, Nottingham and Norfolk.

Overwhelming

She said: “It has been an overwhelming response; we set the Facebook page up on Friday and in less than two days we have 4,000 members all looking to help out.

“Most of these are vets and vet nurses, but we also have lots of vet students who want to go and do their bit – it has been truly amazing.”

Stem the tide

Many hospitals in the worst affected areas are struggling to stem the tide of COVID-19 and there has been a growing realisation that veterinary professionals could be a key weapon in the fight.

Job descriptions seen by Vet Times show vets and VNs will be monitoring temperature, pulse and respiration, as well as assisting with venepuncture and venous cannulation “if trained and assessed as competent to do so”.

Skills needed

Voluntary work is available for those on furlough and paid work for those who have the skills needed.

Vets are being offered NHS grade 4 wages, with veterinary nurses grade 3.

Make a difference

Dr Hillard added: “There are so much skills and expertise in our sector that I know the vets and nurses signing up are going to make a difference in this.

“We have people signed up with specialist knowledge in things like ventilation and anaesthesia, and I am just so pleased that we have been asked for help – and the profession has responded so emphatically to that call.”