NHS and Care Volunteer Responders Service

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff Excerpts

Tuesday 20th May 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

My noble friend makes a very important point and I can certainly give her the assurance she seeks. Over 50,000 additional volunteers are recruited by NHS trusts, which they then support directly in the way my noble friend describes. Their roles are totally unaffected by the change to this programme. There are many thousands of volunteers who support the NHS directly or indirectly via other local and national voluntary sector organisations, and I pay tribute to them all.

[Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (CB)]

My Lords, I declare an interest as president of Attend. Can the Minister explain how, in the new system, the Government will work with an organisation such as Attend, which provides insurance, legal advice, financial services and networking to a whole series of agencies that provide volunteers across the country, to ensure that there are rigorously high standards and that those who volunteer are protected in their role, and that they benefit in addition to providing maximum benefit to the recipients?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The noble Baroness raises an important point. I am sure there are many, like me, who have volunteered, or still volunteer, and gained as much as they gave, although they did not expect to. It is important to have standards, and to protect volunteers and everybody involved. That will be the case. A lot of local action builds relationships with local organisations, which is a very successful way of harnessing the benefits of volunteers and volunteering.