South West Wiltshire MP and Royal Navy Reservist Dr Andrew Murrison has been called up as part of the Armed Forces’ Operation RESCRIPT to support the national COVID19 vaccination programme.
This will be the second time the ex-regular has been mobilized. In 2003 Surgeon Commander Murrison was called up during Operation TELIC to serve as a battlegroup Medical Officer in Iraq. He was approved as an NHS Medical Support Worker under COVID emergency regulations in June and undertook training designed for doctors returning to the NHS in order to assist in the pandemic.
Andrew, who is due to start work with a team of Armed Forces medics later this week, said;
“I’m pleased to be able to do my bit to help out alongside a large number of my own constituents in South West Wiltshire - regulars, reservists, volunteers and medics returning to the NHS.
“Our NHS is doing brilliantly in this crisis. We should all be very proud of the UK vaccination programme and those on the frontline of this crisis.
Parliament is currently largely operating remotely and this together with the upcoming recess means Andrew and his office will be able to continue dealing with constituency issues.
Andrew spoke in the debate on COVID in the Commons this afternoon. He welcomed the Prime Minister’s easing of lockdown and asked, if continuing encouraging data allowed, if the timetable might be reviewed to ease restrictions sooner.