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Source: https://www.scotsman.com/health/cov...ep-sea-divers-to-staff-intensive-care-3455954
Covid Scotland: NHS must be ‘creative’ to ease staffing shortages, says ex army head of medical services who used deep-sea divers to staff intensive care
The health service must be “creative” to reduce pressures on staffing, an NHS chief and former director general of the Army Medical Services has said.
By Elsa Maishman
Sunday, 14th November 2021, 4:55 am
Michael von Bertele, who retired from the army after 35 years in 2012, is a non-executive director of Salisbury NHS foundation trust.
He co-ordinated a scheme that brought deep-sea divers into short-staffed intensive care units during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The divers, who are medical technicians used to supporting offshore workers or deep-sea explorers, had the skills and experience to work alongside nurses despite not being registered health professionals, Dr von Bertele said.
While this was a short-term arrangement, Dr von Bertele said the same concept of thinking about workforce and bringing in new ideas could be applied to current short and long-term pressures on the NHS...
Covid Scotland: NHS must be ‘creative’ to ease staffing shortages, says ex army head of medical services who used deep-sea divers to staff intensive care
The health service must be “creative” to reduce pressures on staffing, an NHS chief and former director general of the Army Medical Services has said.
By Elsa Maishman
Sunday, 14th November 2021, 4:55 am
Michael von Bertele, who retired from the army after 35 years in 2012, is a non-executive director of Salisbury NHS foundation trust.
He co-ordinated a scheme that brought deep-sea divers into short-staffed intensive care units during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The divers, who are medical technicians used to supporting offshore workers or deep-sea explorers, had the skills and experience to work alongside nurses despite not being registered health professionals, Dr von Bertele said.
While this was a short-term arrangement, Dr von Bertele said the same concept of thinking about workforce and bringing in new ideas could be applied to current short and long-term pressures on the NHS...