More than 20,000 retired doctors, nurses and health care professionals have signed up to return to work to help in the fight against coronavirus.
Boris Johnson confirmed the figure in a video posted on Twitter on Sunday evening, the Mirror reports.
The recently retired staff will join 750,000 people who have volunteered to help the NHS during the pandemic.
In the video, the prime minister said: “Thank you to everybody who’s now coming back into the NHS in such huge numbers.
“Just this evening I can tell you we have 20,000 NHS staff coming back to the colours."
It comes after the government as part of its emergency laws package made it easier for recently retired medical professionals to return to the front line to “help with the fight back”.
The news comes hours after it was confirmed the first front line member of staff, a 55-year-old consultant, was confirmed to have died after contracting Covid-19.
Amged El-Hawrani, 55, who tested positive for the virus, died at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Saturday evening.
The NHS isn’t the only public service welcoming people back from retirement.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick has asked recently retired officers to return to the force to help police the capital through the outbreak.
On Thursday evening, the nation burst into a round of applause to thank NHS workers for their efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
People stood at their doors, on their balconies and at their windows to clap for the carers working on the frontline during the outbreak.
