Now it’s 15,675 – and army just keeps growing!
MORE than 15,000 selfless Daily Mail readers have now signed up to become NHS hospital volunteers. The number offering their time to help the sick and ease the burden on doctors and nurses continued to soar yesterday in response to our Christmas campaign.
By last night, a total of 15,675 readers had pledged a combined total of 896,328 hours over six months.
This comprises 9,223 who opted to volunteer for three hours a week plus a further 6,452 who said they will give a day a month to their local trust.
The Mail’s campaign with the charity Helpforce is asking people to give their time to the NHS in a show of support to patients and staff. The massive volunteer recruitment drive – the biggest since the 2012 Olympics – aims to fill important roles such as collecting prescription medications, befriending patients and helping at meal times.
It has already provided a huge boost for the NHS, increasing the health service’s volunteering force – which stood at 78,000 before the weekend – by some 20 per cent.
The campaign has received the backing of Theresa May, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, Scotland’s main political parties and leading health unions.
Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, voiced his support for the drive and encouraged readers to ‘heed the call’. He said boosting volunteers will be essential for the NHS to deliver ambitious treatment upgrades.
The campaign has also been backed by stars such as Sir Tom Jones, Sir Cliff Richard, Joanna Lumley, Kate Garraway, Simon Cowell and Davina McCall.
A report yesterday by health thinktank The King’s Fund found ‘overwhelming’ support from NHS staff.
Readers can register their interest by filling out a form online to be matched with an NHS trust. They are being asked to volunteer for a minimum of six months. They will not replace doctors and nurses, but can carry out simple tasks to help patients.
Roles could include reading to patients, collecting prescriptions or tending hospital gardens. Some may use their own experiences of cancer or mental health to comfort others. Placements are likely to begin from the spring, once the necessary checks and training have been completed.