People who have registered to volunteer to support the NHS in England during the coronavirus pandemic have now been sent details of the tasks that they can do to help.
More than 750,000 people signed up to join the ‘volunteer army’ – which is three times the government target – to help to relieve the intense pressure that the NHS is currently under.
All of the volunteers may have to deliver food and medicines, drive patients to and from appointments and make telephone contacts with people in isolation.
The process is being managed through ‘GoodSam’ a mobile app, where health professionals, pharmacists and local authorities can upload requests for help.
Thousands of approved volunteers will now be able which task that they wish to undertake in their area.
The government scheme initially had a target of recruiting 250,000 helpers, with recruitment having to be temporarily paused due to having to process the first wave of applications.
Catherine Johnson, chief executive of the Royal Volunteer Service said that it had been “a mammoth effort” to get the scheme up and running but it is now “open for business”.
The Royal Volunteer Service charity - which is helping to co-ordinate the scheme - has now said to have completed checks on the applications.
She said: “It’s determined gritt that has got us through 750,000 volunteers.
To authenticate those under normal circumstances would take months, but we don’t have months.
“We want to shield the most at-risk patients now”.
