A Covid-response inspired initiative that harnesses the power of volunteers to bolster the NHS has now helped more than one million people.
The Back to Health programme – led by national charity Helpforce in partnership with 103 NHS and community organisations – was established in 2022 as the country emerged from the pandemic.
Recognising serious gaps in service provision due to overstretched healthcare budgets and workforce shortages, it sought to capitalise on volunteering during Covid.
The aim was to create high-impact volunteering opportunities to improve support in hospitals, communities, and people’s own homes.
Helpforce has now supported 815,300 patients, 130,000 healthcare professionals, and 77,300 volunteers.
As well as improving NHS staff morale and productivity, Back to Health has measurably boosted patient wellbeing with:
- 87% of staff reporting that volunteers improved the quality of care they can provide
- 92% of patients agreeing that volunteers improved their sense of wellbeing
- 84% of patients believing that volunteers helped them to feel less anxious, aiding their recovery
The programme has also had a significant effect on the volunteers, who range in age from 18 to 88, with 90% saying that they gained a sense of purpose. And 71% said that volunteering helped increase their confidence.
Across organisations, including some of the UK’s biggest NHS trusts, volunteers have undertaken a range of duties. These include helping people attend hospital appointments, assisting vulnerable patients to eat and drink, encouraging individuals to improve their mobility, and supporting those in recovery with prescribed physiotherapy exercises.
Glen Burley, chief executive of the Foundation Group collaborative, which involves four NHS Trusts including George Eliot, said that having volunteering services was ‘an integral part of modern healthcare delivery’.
‘Having an established volunteering team means that volunteers are able to anticipate clinicians’ and patients’ needs and know how they can help the department run smoothly. Our clinicians understand, trust, and appreciate the volunteers’ role,’ he said.
Chief executive of Helpforce, Amerjit Chohan, said the initiative was helping to get the NHS ‘back on its feet’.
Helpforce has been calling for healthcare volunteering to be an integral part of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan – expected to be published this week – insisting that tens of thousands more people can be enticed into donating their time and skills to help rebuild the health service and relieve pressure on burned-out staff by taking on non-clinical tasks.
One example is a falls prevention initiative that has been adopted by multiple NHS trusts.
The total annual cost of fragility fractures to the UK has been estimated at £4.4 billion and studies have indicated that a tailored exercise programme can decrease falls in the over-65s by 54%.
Helpforce has demonstrated that with specialist training and supervision, volunteers can support discharged patients with rehabilitation exercises in their own homes. This frees physiotherapists’ time and helps avoid hospital readmissions.
In recognition of the impact of Back to Health, Helpforce was recently awarded a GSK Impact Award, which is run in conjunction with think-tank The King’s Fund.
