The NHS is not ready for a Covid-19 epidemic, according to a survey of doctors – while plans to recruit retired doctors were criticised as “ill thought out.”

Just 5% of doctors in a large survey reported feeling services are prepared – with many reporting that hospitals are already working at peak capacity.

GPs complained of the advice given by NHS 111 to patients – while some complained of shortages of face masks and lack of protection for themselves and their practice staff.

The survey of 1,600 doctors was conducted by the Doctors’ Association UK.

It came as worldwide deaths from the disease increased – with the first deaths reported in the USA and a huge increase in Iran, including a senior government official.

The General Medical Council confirmed last night it had been consulted about the plan to enlist retired doctors. Government officials talked about recruiting an “army of volunteers.”

The GMC said it was considering issuing temporary licences to doctors who come out of retirement to help.

Dr John Coakley, a 64-year-old retired intensive care doctor from Liverpool, told the Guardian: “I last dealt with an ICU patient over five years ago, and things have moved on a lot. I don’t think I’d be much help. I wouldn’t be confident I could insert a cannula now, let alone set up a patient on mechanical ventilation.”

GMC medical director Professor Colin Melville said: “We could, if necessary, grant temporary registration for the duration of the emergency to certain groups of appropriate people to supplement doctor numbers and provide cover in a range of roles. The first group we would grant temporary registration to is doctors who have recently relinquished their licence to practice, for example because they have recently retired.

“We understand that there could be health or personal reasons why some of those doctors would not feel they could return to work, and they would be able to opt out.”

British Medical Association Scottish GP chair Dr Andrew Buist tells The Scotsman: “It’s important that every GP practice is provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) such as the appropriate fitted masks. We have raised this with the Scottish Government, who have provided reassurances that masks have either been delivered, or will be delivered, to any practices which were yet to receive them.”

Doctors’ Association GP lead Dr Yaso Browne said: “Community care workers will continue to do their upmost to safeguard the most vulnerable in society but with 6,000 GP vacancies and the best treatment for Covid-19 being isolation, both healthcare workers and the community need robust plans from the Government to contain what is possible.

“We have GPs being quoted as feeling ‘scared’ with ‘zero protection’ in the knowledge that the current plans to manage a possible future pandemic are unclear.”

The UK reported four new cases of infection yesterday, all travellers from Italy, bringing the UK total to 40.”

In the USA six deaths have been recorded in the State of Washington while in Iran 12 more deaths were reported yesterday, bringing the total to 66.

The UK joined France and Germany in agreeing a package of support for Iran worth five million Euros and including body suits and gloves while France has recorded three deaths and 191 cases of infection. Qatar, Ecuador, Luxembourg, Czechia, Armenia, Iceland and Indonesia are among the countries to report their first cases.

It happened as stock markets crashed worldwide amid warnings that economies were now under serious threat from restrictions on activity and movement.

World Health Organisation director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there were signs that containment measures were being effective. He said: “Each country must have its own approach but it must start with containment. We can push this virus back.”

Dr Rinesh Parmar, chair of The Doctors’ Association UK, said: “The NHS has already been brought to its knees and many frontline doctors fear that our health system simply won’t cope in the event of a Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

“With nearly 10,000 doctor vacancies and 43,000 nurse vacancies the NHS is already understaffed to deal with demand. A&E waiting times are the worst on record. Intensive care units are at capacity and are even struggling to admit patients who are critically unwell or awaiting cancer surgery.

“Doctors have been shouting this from the rooftops for some time. Many hoped the threat of Covid-19 would prompt an honest conversation to address the issue of critical care capacity and our ability to look after our sickest patients.”

Dr Jenny Vaughan added: “Plans to enlist retired doctors in the case of a coronavirus outbreak seem ill-thought out; not least because the virus has a higher mortality in older persons. Many doctors have been forced to retire early due to an equally ill-thought out pensions tax. That problem has not yet been fixed.

“In order to allow doctors to return to the NHS to help treat coronavirus our new chancellor must first find a long-term solution to the NHS pensions tax crisis in the imminent Budget.”