The Government is launching a new scheme to recruit 250,000 volunteers who can help the NHS support vulnerable people during the coronavirus pandemic.
Announcing the push for volunteers at the daily Covid-19 press conference on Tuesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the new scheme would help support the NHS and local services.
He said: "We’re seeking a quarter of a million volunteers to help the NHS for shopping, the delivery of medicines and supporting those who are shielded to protect their own health
"The NHS volunteer responders is a new scheme set up so that people can come and help and to make sure that the NHS and local services that are needed get all the support that they can."
Mr Hancock also announced that more than 35,000 extra NHS staff would be joining the fight against the virus.
These extra staff members include retired doctors and nurses returning to the service and final year students joining the frontline.
Mr Hancock said 11,788 recently retired NHS staff had responded to the call to return to the service - 2,660 doctors, more than 2,500 pharmacists and other staff and 6,147 nurses.
“I pay tribute to each and every one of those who is returning to the NHS at its hour of need,” Mr Hancock said.
Some 5,500 final-year medics and 18,700 final-year student nurses would “move to the frontline” next week.
Mr Hancock confirmed that a temporary hospital – the NHS Nightingale hospital – would be opening at London’s Excel centre, as revealed by the Evening Standard.
He said in Downing Street: “We will, next week, open a new hospital – a temporary hospital – the NHS Nightingale Hospital at the Excel centre in London. The NHS Nightingale Hospital will comprise two wards, each of 2,000 people.
“With the help of the military and with NHS clinicians we will make sure that we have the capacity that we need so that everyone can get the support that they need.”
Mr Hancock also that 7,5 million pieces of protective equipment had been shipped out in the last 24 hours, including face masks.
Amid concerns over the availability of protective equipment for frontline staff, he said that the armed forces have been involved in getting these kits out to people.
He said: "If people are working on the front line to look after us, it’s vital that we look after them.”
He told the first remote press conference that a new testing facility in Milton Keynes has now opened and that the UK has now bought 3.5 million antibody tests to show if people have had Covid-19.
In other key developments:
- The UK death toll from coronavirus rose by 87 in a day to 422.
- The number of people to test positive for Covid-19 hit 8,077.
- The UK entered its first day of lockdown after Boris Johnson announced drastic new measures to fight coronavirus.
- Teenage activist Greta Thunberg said it was 'extremely likely' she has the virus.
- Cabinet insisted building sites will remain open.
NHS England’s national medical director Stephen Powis said the NHS "is pulling out all the stops at present, amazing staff doing amazing things”.
The Nightingale hospital was an “extraordinary feat”, he said.
“From a standing start a day or two ago a hospital will be built that will be able to take its first patients at the start of next week,” he said.
