'Your NHS Needs You' - NHS call for volunteer army

The NHS is "rallying the troops" for the war on coronavirus, with volunteers being called up to help vulnerable people stay safe and well at home.

The nation is looking for up to 250,000 volunteers to help up to 1.5 million people who have been asked to shield themselves from coronavirus because of underlying health conditions.

Stratford-on-Avon District Councillors Daren Pemberton (Bidford East) and Edward Fitter (Quinton) have both answered this call and signed up.

Cllr Daren Pemberton, Deputy Leader of Stratford-on-Avon District Council says: "This is the public sector family coming together. Across the country people are playing their part in the fight against the virus by staying home for the next 12 weeks, to protect themselves, others and the NHS. But many of those shielding will need our support to do that, and by signing up to be an NHS Volunteer Responder, I can help to do that."

Cllr Edward Fitter, District Councillor for Quinton says: "Coronavirus is the biggest challenge we have all ever faced, which is why the NHS are rallying the troops and telling the public: your NHS needs you. I've answered that call to help those in my local community. By creating a bank of helpers we can help support some of the most vulnerable in our community. I would urge anyone who can to sign up as an NHS Volunteer Responder today."

Members of the public can sign up quickly and easily at goodsamapp.org/NHS to become NHS Volunteer Responders, and can be called on to do simple but vital tasks such as:

• delivering medicines from pharmacies;
• driving patients to appointments;
• bringing them home from hospital;

or making regular phone calls to check on people isolating at home.

GPs, doctors, pharmacists, nurses, midwives, NHS 111 advisers and social care staff will all be able to request help for their at-risk patients via a call centre run by the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS), who will match people who need help with volunteers who live near to them. Some charities will also be able to refer people to the service.

NHS Volunteer Responders is not intended to replace local groups helping their vulnerable neighbours but is an additional service provided by the NHS.