An incredible 750,000 volunteers have signed up for NHS Volunteer Responders since its launch on 24 March 2020.
NHS is encouraging health and social care professionals, pharmacists and local authorities to use the service to refer people for support via the NHS Volunteer Responders referrers’ portal. You can also call 0808 196 3382 to refer patients.
Social care providers can make referrals directly if they have an nhs.net or gov.uk email address. Without one, they will need to await approval which may take up to 72 hours, or they can make referrals through their local authority.
This resource is available to councils to continue to work with others to support both the shielded group and also to those who are vulnerable or become vulnerable for wider reasons.
Identity checks are carried out for all volunteers, with an enhanced DBS check for those volunteering as patient transport drivers. Royal Voluntary Service, the charity delivering the volunteer effort, is completing security checks for the 750,000 applications and the scheme is now fully operational.
You can refer people who are at very high risk from coronavirus where no local support is available, for example if they have been asked to self-isolate and ‘shield’, if they are over 70 and have underlying health conditions, or if they are self-isolating and you consider them to be especially vulnerable. Please continue to make use of your local schemes where they exist and please talk to your patients if in doubt about whether they require support.
Once the referral is logged, ‘on duty’ volunteers in your area pick the job they want to do that day and close the task once complete. You can use the portal to track when the patient receives support. You can also use the portal or phone number to remove someone from the scheme if they no longer need assistance.
The NHS has also published guidance for volunteer responders on how to refer individuals (pdf)
