Last year saw the Drazi review on the performance of the NHS, and with the 10 Year Health Plan to launch this year, radical reform is on the horizon. In addition to identifying issues such as the struggle people face to see their GP, ambitions have also been identified, including a shift toward community healthcare.
There is of course no quick fix to the long queues people often face to see their GP, but the role of social prescriptions is one way to reduce unnecessary reliance on medical intervention. And within those prescriptions, recognition is growing for the value of volunteer support.
At the start of the pandemic, in partnership with GoodSAM, we set up NHS and Care Volunteer Responders on behalf of NHS England. The NHS approved programme has since become a trusted resource for primary care colleagues.
Royal Voluntary Service’s recent analysis of how the programme is impacting the health and wellbeing of clients has yielded strong indicators of the ways it is alleviating some of the pressure points GP surgeries face and supporting the NHS’ objective of improving access to primary care.
In a survey with 687 NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service users, 42% of those receiving telephone support agreed they visit their GP less often because of the programme’s support. This figure is one example of how volunteers are helping to bridge the gap between clinical care and daily life challenges, such as loneliness and isolation, which add strain to NHS services.
Loneliness can lead to increased visits to GPs with patients often simply seeking social interaction or a sympathetic ear, and unfortunately these cases draw on in-demand time and resources. In 2023, the then Director of Personalised Care at NHS England, James Sanderson, spoke of how at least 20% of GP visits are for a non-medical need, including being due to loneliness.
In a survey we conducted with 100 GPs, 37% said a lot of their patients are visiting primarily because of loneliness and isolation and 91% agreed ‘If patients had somewhere else to turn in times of loneliness, such as a volunteer, this would free up appointments.’ This feedback should not be overlooked, especially within the context of the increasing demands on GPs. In June 2024 alone, GP teams handled over 28.7 million appointments, a 20% increase from pre-pandemic levels.
The NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme is a vital resource that’s free for NHS services across England utilise, and offers services that help combat loneliness and improve overall wellbeing. Through telephone support services, volunteers provide much-need social interaction that contributes to a holistic approach to patient care. These services are easy for GPs, pharmacists and other healthcare staff to refer patients to, and patients or their family members can also self-refer to the service directly.
Calls can help reduce reliance on GP services for socialisation and can prevent the escalation of loneliness-related health issues and the need for medical interventions. Support calls are also more than a loneliness intervention, timely referrals can also help patients’ mental health and wellbeing, to prevent people reaching a crisis point.
As the data suggests, utilising this support can help free up NHS resources for other critical areas and therefore make it easier for people to access community and primary care services.
There are two offerings within the Telephone Support services, which are currently used by over 640 primary care networks and GP practices across England:
- Check In and Chat Calls, where a patient can receive regular phone calls from different volunteers for up to 18 weeks.
- Companionship Calls, which provide regular telephone support of up to three calls per week for six weeks, from the same volunteer, for people who would benefit from speaking to the same person.
Volunteers are deployed in real-time as soon as a referral is accepted, meaning minimal wait time for patients. This immediacy is crucial in addressing loneliness, which can escalate quickly if left unchecked.
Service feedback
Emma Pike, a health coach at a GP surgery in Somerset, said: ‘Making a referral to the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme has been easy and straightforward. The Telephone Support services are a great asset, as loneliness is rife in the community and it can have a knock-on negative effect on a person’s health. A friendly call and listening ear can make a very positive difference to patients and their wellbeing. One person I referred said the calls were a ‘lifeline’.’
Vivien Willmott, a lead care home paramedic at Medway Practices Alliance, said: ‘Check In and Chat calls have been really useful in helping support patients who are struggling with feelings of loneliness and social anxiety. A patient I referred lives in a care home and is very anxious. On low days, they find themselves overwhelmed with nerves and don’t have the confidence to leave their room and socialise with the other residents. Check In and Chat calls have been a real lifeline for them. They’re something that has really helped them and that they look forward to. The service is a great way to make sure vulnerable and isolated patients can access social support and have someone to talk to.’
Returning home after a hospital stay can be overwhelming for patients without a support system, and can lead to isolation. Healthcare colleagues can also request telephone support as part of patients’ recovery journey to improve wellbeing and treatment outcomes.
As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve and strive to meet objectives, the role of volunteer support in delivering compassionate, patient-centred care, including beyond clinical settings, will become increasingly important.
The NHS and Care Volunteer Responders services are free to access and available seven days a week with support from a helpline, safeguarding team, and problem-solving team. Regional relationship managers are available to answer questions. ID and DBS checks are carried out for volunteers. To request support, visit nhscarevolunteerresponders.org or call 0808 196 3382.
