Call for mass mobilisation of Doncaster volunteers to support ailing NHS

As the national treatment backlog stands at 7.3m cases and with 107,000 vacant health service roles placing medics under intense pressure, campaigners say that super-charging the number of volunteers who take on specific tasks designed to improve the flow of patients through hospitals could be

“transformative”.

And a new YouGov survey conducted for healthcare volunteering charity Helpforce has revealed that 23% of people across Yorkshire and the Humber would be inclined to donate their time and talents – equivalent to a potential pool of over one million individuals.

It comes as 86% of frontline NHS staff nationwide report that support from trained volunteers improves the care they can provide, according to Helpforce’s own data – underlining that volunteers are not intended to replace healthcare professionals, but to instead complement them.

In calling on the Government to launch “the biggest health volunteering recruitment drive since the pandemic”, the charity - which works with over a hundred NHS trusts - is backed by leading health organisations including NHS Providers and the Health Foundation.

Over 6,400 people already actively volunteer their time in NHS wards and clinics across Yorkshire and the North East, with many taking on non-clinical ‘response’ tasks such as collecting prescribed medication from hospital pharmacies for patients to take home, transporting blood samples from patients’ bedsides to on-site labs, or providing refreshments for patients and their families.

The emphasis is on trained volunteers taking on basic tasks that alleviate pressure on doctors, nurses, and healthcare assistants – enabling medics to focus on delivering quality care.

Helpforce evidence suggests that for every 10,000 new NHS ‘response volunteers’ recruited nationally, 1.1 million hours of annual efficiency gains can be achieved by the health service.

Helpforce chief executive, Amerjit Chohan, said: “After years of under-investment and deep-rooted system-level challenges, the NHS remains in crisis - despite the valiant efforts of its staff and legions of existing volunteers. Out in communities, people feel the effects of unacceptably long waiting lists, chronically over-stretched services, and often extreme difficulties in accessing help.

"It’s clear from YouGov’s poll that a swathe of the public across Yorkshire is willing to step forward and do what they can to help.

“We are calling on the Government to invest in the biggest health volunteering recruitment drive since the pandemic, with a focus on attracting people into ‘response volunteer’ roles.

"Evidence shows that this specific type of support role can have a transformative impact on overall hospital efficiency – crucially leading to a reduction in the length of treatment waiting lists.

“YouGov’s poll reveals that 23% of people across Yorkshire and the Humber would consider volunteering for the NHS – equivalent to over one million individuals. Even if only two per cent could be enticed into volunteering roles that would result in NHS trusts across the region being bolstered by approximately 20,000 additional committed volunteers.

“There’s a huge opportunity to learn from our work with more than 100 NHS organisations and super-charge impact-led volunteering programmes that have already been proven at scale. While

volunteering can’t solve all the NHS’ problems, it has a significant contribution to make.”

The YouGov poll, which coincides with the launch of Helpforce’s new ‘Giving Back, Transforming Care’ awareness campaign, highlighted that over two-thirds (67%) of people in Yorkshire and the Humber support the idea of a mass NHS volunteer recruitment drive.

As well as ferrying prescribed medication and blood samples across hospital sites, trained ‘response volunteer’ roles can include escorting patients needing diagnostic tests or x-rays, providing general refreshments for those receiving and giving care, and restocking cupboards with bedding supplies, aprons and masks.

Over the course of a year, each individual ‘response’ volunteer’ supports an average of 2,500 patients and undertakes 6,600 tasks, according to Helpforce’s analysis.

Daniel Elkeles, Chief Executive of NHS Providers, said: “Tens of thousands of highly motivated volunteers of all ages and from all walks of life already gift their time and talents to NHS trusts

nationwide and there is growing evidence that they make a significant contribution – not only improving the experiences of patients receiving healthcare, but also in terms of enhancing the working lives of the health professionals they support.

"In my previous roles as a trust leader, I’ve seen for myself the great benefits this can bring.

“Forward-thinking NHS trusts no longer view volunteering programmes as a ‘nice-to-have’ and instead regard them as a strategic imperative. There would be clear merit in a high-profile, government-led recruitment drive.”

At a national level, the YouGov poll found that 18 to 24-year-olds showed particular enthusiasm for NHS volunteering, with a third of respondents in this age group (33%) indicating that they would consider signing-up – compared to 28% of 25 to 34-year-olds, 23% in the 35-54 bracket, and 20% of those aged 55 and over.

Dr Jennifer Dixon DBE, Chief Executive of the Health Foundation, said: “It’s fascinating to see that young adults seem to have the highest levels of appetite for NHS volunteering and heartening

that so many of them want to do something practical to help others in need, as well as support the NHS which in turn can offer them so much.

“As well as those aged 18 to 24 having a great deal to offer the NHS as volunteers, exposing them to healthcare settings is likely to interest them in a career in the NHS – which could be hugely worthwhile for them, and boost the NHS workforce with young, committed talent.”

When asked what would motivate them to volunteer for the NHS, the top reasons given by those who took part in the survey (nationally) were: making a difference to someone’s life, giving back to the NHS, and gaining a sense of purpose.

And across demographics, not knowing what kind of NHS volunteer roles are available and uncertainty around how to apply for positions were cited as barriers to volunteering – though the biggest obstacle identified was ‘not being able to commit sufficient time’.

People interested in healthcare volunteering opportunities in their local area can visit the NHS Volunteering website.