Get young people to volunteer in hospitals to cut NHS waiting lists, government urged
Charity offers new solution to cut NHS waiting lists
- A YouGov poll found that a third of 18 to 24-year-olds in England would consider volunteering for the NHS.
- The charity Helpforce is calling on the government to invest in a major recruitment drive targeting young adults for NHS volunteer roles.
- This initiative aims to tackle NHS waiting lists and improve hospital efficiency, with Helpforce estimating that 10,000 new 'response volunteers' could add around 1.1 million hours of productivity.
- Overall, 24 per cent of adults surveyed expressed willingness to volunteer, a figure that rises to 33 per cent among the 18-24 age group, representing 1.9 million young people.
- Experts from the Health Foundation and NHS Providers support the proposal, highlighting the potential for young volunteers to aid the health service and potentially pursue NHS careers.