Emergency legislation 'will protect NHS volunteers'

Emergency coronavirus legislation could be introduced in the House of Commons this month, including measures to allow people to leave their jobs and volunteer to care for those affected.

Revealing new details of measures expected to be included in the bill, Health Secretary Matt Hancock outlined plans for volunteers to be given additional employment safeguards so they can leave their main jobs and temporarily volunteer in the event of a UK epidemic. The government says that approximately three million people currently volunteer in ‘a health, community health and social care setting’.

The move would mean that the jobs of ‘skilled, experienced or qualified volunteers’ are to be protected for up to four weeks.

Hancock said: “We will do all we can to contain coronavirus, but as we know, COVID-19 is spreading across the world, so I want to ensure government is doing everything in its power to be ready to delay and mitigate this threat. Public safety is my top priority. Responding to coronavirus is a massive national effort and I’m working with colleagues across government to ensure we have a proportionate emergency bill, with the right measures to deal with the impacts of a widespread COVID-19 outbreak.

“We plan for the worst and work for the best, and the NHS is working 24/7 to fight this virus. Calls to NHS 111 have increased by more than a third and we have already put in place 500 extra staff to help with this increase. Every person has a role to play in managing the spread of COVID-19 – whether that’s washing your hands more often for 20 seconds or catching your sneezes.”

Following the recent announcement that ministers will also consider the emergency registration of retired health professionals, the new bill will also look at ensuring any retired staff who return to work in the NHS do not have their pensions negatively impacted.

Ahead of an expected move from the UK's ‘containment’ phase of the outbreak response to ‘delay’, the measures would also allow court cases to be heard via telephone or video links.

New Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to ease constraints on spending and borrowing in this week’s budget, as he sets out plans to help the economy withstand the impact of coronavirus. He has promised to give the NHS ‘whatever it needs’ to cope with the outbreak.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Sunak said there were plans to give firms extra time to pay tax, if staff were unable to work and shoppers stopped spending money ‘in the normal way’.