New NHS Reservists will ‘strengthen the health service’

A new system of volunteer reservists for the NHS in England, modelled on Armed Forces reservists and police special constables, is being proposed through a new law in Parliament.

Alan Mak, MP for Havant in Hampshire and Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, is presenting his NHS Reserve Staff Bill to Parliament on 24 November 2020, backed by Health Secretary Matt Hancock. The bill proposes a new, uniformed standing reserve of clinical and non-clinical volunteers which NHS hospitals, health trusts and other health service bodies 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 volunteered 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.

Mak says that his proposal 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 putting in place pilot schemes in all seven health service regions across England to explore how the new Reservists system could operate in practice, which will involve both clinical and non-clinical volunteers, including students who are taking part in the coronavirus vaccination programme.

Mak said: “The pandemic has shown how much people love our NHS and how ready they are to support the health service when times are tough. The new NHS Reserves system will enable people to volunteer their time and skills and help their local hospital, GP or pharmacy – a positive, long-lasting legacy after coronavirus that will benefit the health service in every region for years to come.”

Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, added: “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.”