Recently retired doctors are being prevented from helping administer COVID-19 vaccines because the NHS requires them to have "diversity training" and knowledge of "radicalisation."

40,000 doctors and nurses applied to return to the NHS back in March at the start of the pandemic but only 5,000 had been given jobs by July, according to a report in the Telegraph.

Similar bureaucracy is also hampering the vaccine rollout, with doctors having to fulfil the requirements of the Equality Act.

This means that when they wade into the minefield that is the application process for helping to administer the vaccine, they have to provide 20 pieces of evidence, including documents on Equality, Diversity and Human Rights, Fire Safety, Conflict Resolution, and Preventing Radicalisation.

"Reached this page on my application and have given up for now. Can't see many retired clinicians wading through this lot – or having all required docs," said Professor Maureen Baker.

"Yes I'm going through this today….now on my 7th hour of CPD! Not even at 'pre-employment screening' yet. Suspect many will have given up by now," commented Professor Nicola Thomas.

The NHS responded by saying it was necessary "in order to recruit a wide array of individuals from a variety of backgrounds."

In other words, meeting diversity quotas is more important than getting as many doctors as possible to help speed up the vaccine rollout.

Ludicrous.