NHS and Care Volunteer Responders Service Debate

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Department: Department of Health and Social Care

NHS and Care Volunteer Responders Service

Jenny Riddell-Carpenter Excerpts
Monday 19th May 2025

(1 day, 19 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Jenny Riddell-Carpenter Portrait Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Suffolk Coastal) (Lab)
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It is no exaggeration to say that during the pandemic, thousands of constituents were helping out in volunteering roles with the NHS and across their community in Suffolk Coastal. Will the Minister reassure my constituents that those who want to play a part in volunteering can continue to do so? Perhaps she would outline the steps they can take to register their interest.

Karin Smyth Portrait Karin Smyth
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My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We want to make sure that people in her constituency and all our constituencies who have volunteered or who want to—those who perhaps could not at the time, but want to in the future—can do so. Those who are already on the system and have received an email can register via that portal, and we will make sure it is easy for people to do so in future.

I have been reminded by a note that people who volunteered in the very early weeks of the pandemic might have been on a slightly different system from those who volunteered later on, so I think there will be a slightly different process for them. We do not want to lose them. Those who have received an email can register through that portal, but we will make sure that more opportunities are available when that is launched, and I will be happy to update the House when that happens.