Clinical academics freed up to support NHS during Covid-19 pandemic

UCL has informed all its clinical staff, who work across the faculties of Population Health, Medical, Life, Brain and Engineering Sciences, that their day-to-day duties will be reassigned should they want to volunteer and support the frontline NHS.

Professor David Lomas, UCL Vice Provost (Health), said: “At this time of increased pressure on the NHS, it is likely many of our medical-trained academics will soon be asked to support clinical and frontline health services.

“This will be a personal choice for each colleague, but we hope our decision to release staff from their UCL responsibilities, will better enable our academics to volunteer and support the NHS.

“I have already heard many colleagues would be delighted to support the NHS and I’ve have received numerous positive messages from our hospital colleagues. As a university we stand ready to support the NHS and I am sure other universities will soon do the same.”

Along with clinically trained academics, UCL’s senior medical students will also be given the opportunity to help and dozens of other highly skilled scientists working in our labs with relevant transferrable skills will also be freed up.

Among the hospitals UCL collaborates with include, UCLH, the Royal Free London, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Moorfields Eye Hospital, the Whittington Hospital, and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore

UCL’s Senior Management Team will continue to review UCL’s position as the pandemic progresses and as the demands on clinical services change over time.   

Links

• Advice for clinical staff wishing to support the NHS
• UCL coronavirus advice
• Professor David Lomas' academic profile
• UCL Medical Sciences
• UCL Life Sciences
• UCL Brain Sciences
• UCL Population Health
• UCL Engineering

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• View of University College Hospital credit: UCL Digital Media