DIGITAL PASSPORTS TO SPEED UP NHS HELPERS
A ‘VOLUNTEER passport’ is to be introduced to make it far easier for the public to help out in hospitals.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock wants to bring in the scheme next year to dramatically slash the bureaucracy involved in registering as a helper.
Currently, would-be volunteers have to wait between three and six months after expressing their interest with a hospital to start their placements.
The passports, being built as a smartphone app, aim to condense this down to a month. Health officials hope they will encourage thousands more kind-hearted people to volunteer.
Importantly, they will mean those who have volunteered in one hospital can work in another part of the NHS without having to register again.
This includes volunteers with charities who work on behalf of the NHS, such as the Red Cross and St John Ambulance.
The plan will begin in England but could be adopted across the rest of the UK if the devolved governments accept it.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Volunteering is a crucial part of Scotland’s health system. We are grateful for every volunteer. Health boards have established systems for volunteers and we suggest anyone seeking opportunities first of all contacts their board.’
So far, more than 20,000 readers have signed up to the Mail’s hospital volunteer drive since its launch on December 1.
‘I want to make it easier to volunteer in the NHS,’ said Mr Hancock. ‘I want to introduce a volunteer passport so that the checks that it’s important people undergo can be done once and then somebody is approved and trained to work as a volunteer in any setting.
‘At the moment if you have a background check it’s for a particular role. It should be based on the need for a particular person and that could be taken across the NHS.’
The first volunteer placements for the Mail’s campaign will begin in the spring, with the exact timings depending on individual hospitals. But the overwhelming response suggests many people would have liked to help out much earlier, especially as the NHS is so busy over winter.
At present, anyone who wants to help at their local hospital has to have a criminal records check, occupational health check (including tests for tuberculosis and hepatitis) and training.
The passports are being built by Helpforce, the charity partnered with the Mail to launch our volunteer campaign, with the full backing of the Health Secretary. Helpforce hopes to introduce them by the end of 2019 and they will be continually upgraded and improved thereafter.
The smartphone app will be essentially a volunteering CV, showing helpers have passed a criminal records check and occupational health assessment, plus a record of previous work and training.
The charity also hopes to build an electronic version which can be looked up on any computer as many NHS volunteers are over 65 and may not own smartphones.
Mr Hancock stressed speeding up the process would not mean vital checks will become less scrupulous. He said: ‘It’s important that people volunteering get the training they need to support staff and also have the right background checks.
‘The great thing is when there’s a good volunteering system, it helps the clinicians do their job. I think the NHS has a huge amount to gain from embracing volunteering and Helpforce is a brilliant way to do this.’
Sir Thomas Hughes-Hallett, founder and chairman of Helpforce said: ‘A digital passport will allow Britain to make greater use of volunteers.
‘It will be more convenient, enabling them to carry out a multiplicity of tasks in different settings and for different charities, as well as the NHS.’
The charity hopes to develop a basic volunteer training qualification, starting next year. Volunteering will form a key part of the NHS Long Term Plan, a major policy document which is being published this month.