NEWS
U.K. Asking Furloughed Flight Attendants to Work in Hospitals
Source: Virgin Atlantic
The U.K. is asking furloughed flight attendants to return to work by assisting medical teams fighting the coronavirus.
Since most flight attendants have CPR and other medical training, the U.K. Government is asking flight attendants to help in support roles by working in pop-up coronavirus medical wards.
We’re enlisting the help of @easyJet and @VirginAtlantic staff who aren’t currently working to help #OurNHSPeople with non-clinical support in our new Nightingale hospitals. Read more. #YourNHSNeedsYou 👨⚕️🧑⚕️🏥 https://t.co/5HhEDCGysw pic.twitter.com/nJboSSh6RZ
— NHS England and NHS Improvement (@NHSEngland) March 30, 2020
According to Condê Nast Traveler, the U.K.’s National Health Service has asked Virgin Atlantic and EasyJet cabin crew to come back to work as part of a job retention scheme assisting medical professionals as the country battles COVID-19.
“The NHS is mobilizing like never before, but the scale of this challenge has not been seen in peacetime so we need all the support we can get,” Ruth May, chief nursing officer for England, said in a statement. “Thousands of nurses, medics and other expert staff are returning to work alongside us, but we need everyone to do their bit.”
Furloughed cabin crew returning to work in hospitals would receive additional medical training and would work in support roles under the guidance of nurses and doctors.
“We are very proud of our highly skilled people at Virgin Atlantic and since the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was announced, we have been inundated with our employees looking to help other organisations at this time of crisis,” Corneel Koster, Virgin Atlantic’s chief customer officer, said in a release reported by Condê Nast Traveler.
