Support for NHS organisations

NHS Volunteer Responders are ready to provide vital support to frontline staff, NHS clinicians and social care professionals. They can be a helping hand for those vulnerable to coronavirus (COVID-19), or any other reason support is needed during the pandemic.

Please read our Guide for referrers for information on how to make your request.

Collection and delivery of blood pressure monitors

NHS Transport Volunteers can support the distribution of blood pressure monitors to clinicians and patients as part of the Blood Pressure @home programme.

How to request vaccination Steward Volunteer support

Requests can be made for assistance from Steward Volunteers (COVID-19 vaccinations) to help guide people at COVID-19 vaccination sites as needed. They can also assist with stewarding at flu vaccination sites and support with other non-clinical tasks such as signposting people around a health site e.g. GP surgeries or helping them to check in.

One-off delivery of medication - inhaled budesonide

If is not possible for patients to ask a friend or relative to collect the inhaler then GP practices and community pharmacy staff can request delivery by the NHS Volunteer Responders service. Find out more information about inhaled budesonide for COVID-19 patients.

Support for your patients

If you’d like to refer someone for the first time, request additional help for a patient, or to reduce the level of their support, you can call our Support Team on 0808 196 3382 (available 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week) or online via the GoodSAM website.

Find out more information on how to refer including bulk referrals.

Pulse oximeter collection

The programme can also support with delivery and collection of pulse oximeters to high-risk coronavirus (COVID-19) positive patients to enable them to monitor their blood oxygen saturation levels. This supports the COVID Oximetry @home programme and COVID Virtual Wards. We’ve produced a pulse oximeter fact sheet to help you.

NHS non-clinical support

Volunteers can help with a range of tasks, from helping collect shopping or medication so people can stay safe, providing a regular Check In and Chat call to those self-isolating, transporting equipment, providing patient transport to medical appointments, and providing stewarding or signposting in NHS facilities (e.g. for flu clinics).

NHS Transport Volunteer

NHS Transport Volunteers provide essential support across the different NHS services, helping to move vital supplies to sites. These include:

• Pulse oximeters
• Equipment, supplies and medications between different NHS sites
• Biological specimen kits and samples
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing kits and trial medications

Support for mental health providers

If you’re providing mental health support, you can learn more about how NHS Volunteer Responders can support your clients in our mental health fact sheet.

Frequently asked questions

We have produced some FAQs to guide you on how to make referrals and about the NHS Volunteer Responders programme.