Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely is backing a new law which aims to create a new system of volunteer reservists for the NHS, modelled on Armed Forces reservists and police special constables.
The NHS Reserve Staff Bill – proposed by Alan Mak MP and backed by Health Secretary Matt Hancock – proposes a new, uniformed standing reserve of clinical and non-clinical volunteers which NHS hospitals, including St Mary’s, can call upon when staffing demands increase.
Scenarios where NHS Reservists could be called up include public health emergencies, seasonal increases in demand, large public events and protests, industrial action, and critical incidents such as terrorist attacks or major accidents.
Department of Health & Social Care figures indicate 47,000 former healthcare professionals (including retired doctors and nurses) volunteered nationally to help the NHS during the Coronavirus outbreak, with another 750,000 non-clinical volunteers signing up online via the GoodSam app. NHS figures show that around 18,000 of the clinical returners are interested in a longer-term role, such as joining the NHS Reserves.
The new law would harness this strong public desire to support the Health Service beyond the Coronavirus outbreak by creating a new, permanent NHS Reserves system to provide a formal bank of trained and vetted volunteer staff to support NHS hospitals and Trusts during periods of high demand for staff, supplementing (but not replacing) the NHS’s permanent staff.
NHS England is currently putting in place pilot schemes in all 7 Health Service regions across England, to explore how the new Reservists system could operate in practice, including on the Isle of Wight. Reservist disciplines would range from clinical roles such as doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants and carers to non-clinical roles such as drivers, electricians, logistics specialists, IT experts and communications professionals.
A new national NHS Reservists Register would be created to capture details about volunteers and their skills. NHS Trusts, hospital chief executives and other healthcare bodies would be able to access the Register to call-up Reservists with the skills needed at the time.
Mr Seely said:
“This Bill is a great idea and I thank my colleague Alan Mak for bringing it forward. It will provide us all with a level of comfort knowing that there is an NHS army of volunteers ready and waiting to volunteer their time and skills to help our hospital, GPs and pharmacies during times of crisis.
“We are very fortunate on the Island to have a good network of volunteers, as has been evident throughout the pandemic, and I would like to thank each and every person who has volunteered on the Island over the past eight months.
“I hope that Islanders will consider becoming NHS Reservists when the system is ready.”
Alan Mak MP, the Bill’s author who came up with the NHS Reserves idea, said:
“Bob is a strong NHS supporter locally and in Westminster, so I’m delighted to be backed by such a dedicated colleague to create the NHS Reserves.
“NHS Reservists will benefit the Health Service across the Isle of Wight and Bob will be an outstanding NHS Reserves Champion locally, promoting the new system and encouraging residents to become Reservists. I could not be more grateful for Bob’s help in getting the NHS Reserves off the ground.”
Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said:
“Hundreds of thousands of people have selflessly volunteered to support our NHS during the Coronavirus pandemic, bringing out the very best in us all to help our communities and our country at this difficult time.
“I want us to build on that incredible collective achievement, and Alan Mak’s proposal for an NHS Reserve force is a brilliant opportunity to make this happen. I strongly support him in his efforts to bring this to bear.”
I thought we already had unpaid volunteers at the hospital who wear orange shirts. There is also a staff bank of admin and nursing auxiliaries, or at least there used to be a year or so ago. There is always the issue of confidentiality and mandatory training involved. How will this scheme differ?
Liz, I expect you saw some inmates from the nearby jail. Those from Gauntalamo bay wear Orange I believe.
Likely just in for outpatient treatment like ingrown toe nail or something.
Well i wouldn’t like to be treated by bob inside a hospital.
Perhaps if we never kept allowing in those prone to become e xtremists, then the risk of terror ist and b ombing and certainly rioting would not put such a strain on our NHS.
Imagine the huge cost now of treating s tab, s hooting, acid attack, mugging, and r ape victims.
(Excuse b roken words, only the media does not like the truth to be mentioned nowadays).
It would be really helpful if all those staff the NHS employed were all working normally, as trying to see a doctor now is very difficult. I fully understand why in the early days pre enough barriers, safety gear etc, but it is still very difficult to get an appointment now.
Seems it is not more staff, but safer treatment areas and procedures which are needed, UNLESS HMG know something we don’t?
Totally agree all knowing, for most of those are the type that now cannot ever be blamed, and never accept they are to blame anyway.
An everlasting and growing cost to the UK more so than any war, as ‘time’ with warfare makes the problem better, with this issue time will just make it so much worse.
MP’s have a lot to answer for, from all parties, but never of course like the above, always avoid being held to account.
All-knowing, you sound like a white extremist terrorist.
i put a reply on here but IE didn’t like it so never got published.
Are we then expecting more of this? I thought once the vaccine is administered to all, staffing levels would be more than capable as people will be more careful in the future.
Become a vaccination volunteer…We are inviting our NHS Volunteer Responders to support the large scale COVID-19 vaccination programme to come. You will be able to help in a number of roles over the coming months.
I hope the new NHS volunteers are well trained and equipped with all the safety of the well paid NHS staff, who get other benefits from their employee travel, home buying, etc.
One hopes that the volunteers won’t be given the more risky and unpleasant jobs, whilst as with our Doctors, those who are the most well paid avoid the front line as much as possible.
Please explain your comment? The vaccination is voluntary. That vaccine is safe, anyone saying otherwise is an idiot.
The NHS are asking for people to administer the vaccine.
Safe?tell me Richard ..is it safe on a declining ms patient??tested on many similar??wont agrivate my immune system.? No long term issues too deal with on top??shutup man your a gullable sheep.no need even for vaccine…its got 95.5%recovery rate
It will give Bob something to do!
Just seems like a stealthy way of the government recruiting professional help but not paying for it. Unpleasant.
Sounds like a way to run the NHS at below capacity. There are a lot of big american medical companies trying to push private health care. As they did in america, they first encourage the powers to be to run down the free healthcare insurance scheme forcing more into private healthcare. The US once had universal healthcare insurance after the 2nd world war. But the private healthcare companies conspired to derail it buy offering private healthcare as part of your employment. They wish to do the same in the UK. Bankrupt the NHS so we’re forced to pay for private. This law is the first step.
Just how many jobs have been replaced now by volunteers? I first became aware of this about 8 years ago when I was working in the ‘not for profit’ arena. Because of loss of central government funding and the pressure that puts on local councils to cut costs, many jobs were cut and then filled by volunteers. Librarians, to name just one. Unfortunately, because of the added pressure of pensions, paternal and adoption leave, increased wage burdens, etc. more and more businesses are trying any way they can to cut down on the largest financial burden, which is staff! Hence, all the automation in supermarkets. It’s very worrying though that this lack of funding and reliance on volunteers should now filter into our private and essential sector and that our local MP is wholeheartedly endorsing it. Shameful.
Why then do we still allow so many into this country when ‘people’ are not needed for so many more jobs now as hi-tech takes over?
We are then left paying for these people and their numerous off spring for the rest of eternity and the problem grows ever worse.
WE the people can do nothing ONLY our MP’s but as they live well away from any issues, their jobs not under threat nor their safety, nor their home life, they care NOTHING.
ook em out of it