The Nursing and Midwifery Council has written to former members whose registration has lapsed in the previous four years to encourage them to re-register. This would make them available to employers in the event of a surge in the pandemic.

Fealth and Wellbeing secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: ‘The extra resource former nurses and midwives can provide if the pandemic worsens will be vital and that is why we are offering to meet any costs that re-registering will incur.'

Last month Unison called for the NMC to waive the re-registration fee. Readmission costs £76 with a £76 retention fee at the end of the first and second years of the registration period.

So far the Scottish government is the only one in the UK to announce it will fund re-registration.