Former nurses and midwives who wish to go back to work during the swine flu outbreak will be paid for by the Scottish government, it has been announced.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council had already tried to recruit additional nursing back-up, by writing to former members whose registration had lapsed. Now the government has agreed to pay their reregistration fees.
If the H1N1 virus spreads rapidly, it is hoped that some of the 9,500 nurses and midwives in Scotland who are eligible to reregister would be able to offer additional medical help.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon (pictured) pledged the government would “meet any costs that re-registering will incur”.
Ministers will cover the £76 registration fee for nurses and midwives, along with the £23 cost of a disclosure check.
Ms Sturgeon said: “We are continuing to work closely with boards and other organisations to ensure Scotland is prepared for any NHS staffing implications as a result of the pandemic.
“The extra resource former nurses and midwives can provide if the pandemic worsens will be vital, and that is why we are offering to meet any costs that reregistering will incur.”
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