Retired doctors in the North West will have an option to “keep caring” and re-join the NHS to carry out outpatient appointments in a new initiative to help reduce waiting lists.

From autumn, newly retired doctors will be able to sign up to a new digital platform where they will be able to offer their availability to trusts across England to perform outpatient appointments, either virtually or in person.

Plans to launch the platform in the autumn were announced at NHS Confed Expo by NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard earlier this month.

NHS hospitals will choose the consultant whose skillset and availability best matches the appointments they need covered, which are scheduled and arranged with patients in the normal way.

More than four-fifths of people on the waiting list require an outpatient appointment such as a follow-up for cardiology or rheumatology – rather than a surgical procedure.

Consultants carrying out remote appointments could be based anywhere in England, which can help those hospitals in areas with higher demand. Those requiring a face-to-face appointment or follow-up will be seen in the usual way.

The platform will aim to provide trusts with an alternative to using expensive agency staff, while allowing experienced specialists who want to keep working in the NHS a bit longer with a route back in with more flexibility.

Workforce data shows about 1,000 consultants leave the NHS for retirement each year.

The new tool will help to deliver the NHS Elective Recovery Plan, the most ambitious catch-up programme in health service history, helping to cut the longest waits ahead of the next target of virtually eliminating waits of more than 65 weeks by March 2024.

The first target of virtually eliminating two-year waits was met last summer and despite the twindemic of Covid and flu, which contributed to the busiest winter the NHS has seen, coupled with disruptive industrial action, 18-month waits have been cut by 90%.

Christopher Cutts, Regional Director of Workforce, Training and Education for NHS England – North West, welcomed the news and said: “There are lots of experienced doctors who retire each year and this agile way will help them continue working with us, benefit our patients and expand capacity to see patients.

“Cutting waiting lists is a national priority and the introduction of this new technology will hopefully work to our favour, and help us deliver the best possible healthcare.”

All appropriate checks are carried out before consultants become fully registered on the platform, to ensure patient safety. The programme will be open to recently-retired consultants with NHS experience who have an active registration on the specialist register and the GMC registry and who also hold CCT.