Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for medical, nursing and midwifery students

Purpose of this guidance

This guidance has been endorsed for use in Scotland by the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Nursing Officer, the Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and the General Medical Council. It is based on NHS England national guidance.

The COVID-19 pandemic means we are in unprecedented times with significant pressures being placed upon our health and care services.

This guidance document is aimed at providing information to medical, nursing and midwifery students and recent graduates on what this means for them during this time should they wish to participate in supporting NHS Scotland's workforce.

Students and recent graduates are not required to take up these roles, and it is the individual choice of each whether they wish to do so. Students and graduates who do not take up these roles will not be adversely affected.

The guidance is focused on how students and recent graduates can support the health and care system during this time of emergency and as this is a fast-changing and emerging situation, advice may be subject to further development. However, these principles should be used in conjunction with advice and guidance from both students' higher education institutions and, as the case may be, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), British Medical Association (BMA) and General Medical Council (GMC).