New ‘Dad’s Army’ of retired medical staff should be called to tackle NHS crisis, Liz Truss says

A NEW “Dad’s Army” of retired ­doctors, nurses and medical staff should be called up to tackle the NHS crisis, Liz Truss has said.

She spoke out amid stories of ­pensioners being forced to wait up to 40 hours for ambulances after falls.

Ms Truss said: “It’s about making sure we have a culture where we’re encouraging people to work in the NHS.

“During Covid, we successfully brought people back from retirement to help out.

“And what I’m interested in is how can we do that now we’re facing these critical issues in the NHS?

“Because [there are] lots of fantastic people who have worked in the health service who could help.”

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She said she’d make tackling NHS waiting times a “key priority”. And Brits must be able to get a GP and dentist appointment, she pledged.

She also vowed to “fix the issues in social care” to ease pressure on hospitals.