An army of unpaid volunteers is being recruited to carry out coronavirus tests across the country as ministers try to hit their target of 200,000 a day.
They are being asked to sign up to work at least 32 hours a week, swabbing the noses and throats of people who may be infected, for no pay.
The high-street chemist Boots is advertising the roles across the country, with the support of ministers.
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However, a leading trade union and opposition politicians have criticised the move, accusing ministers of taking advantage of the goodwill of the public.
The Unison union said the roles took the idea of volunteering “too far”.
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14/50 29 April 2020Britain’s Labour leader Keir Starmer speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions, as members of Parliament observe social distancing due to the coronavirus, in the House of Commons, London, Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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17/50 26 April 2020Frankie Lynch celebrates on the Mall where the finish of the London Marathon was due to take place today after running 2.6 miles instead of 26 miles to raise money for The Running Charity
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19/50 24 April 2020An empty Brighton Pier, closed during the Coronavirus pandemic as temperatures reach 20 degrees in the South East
Rex
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22/50 21 April 2020Badger the Border Collie surrounded by bluebells at Shrawley Wood in Worcestershire
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23/50 20 April 2020A dog walker on Blyth beach in Northumberland
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24/50 19 April 2020A piece of coronavirus themed street art grafitti in East London
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26/50 17 April 2020A taped-up bench in the hamlet of Diglea, Greater Manchester
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27/50 16 April 2020A woman wearing a protective face mask and gloves walks past graffiti in Bow, London
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EPA
29/50 14 April 2020The new Nightingale Hospital in Washington, Tyne and Wear, being fitted out
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30/50 13 April 2020Walkers enjoy the bluebells in Wanstead Park in London
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36/50 7 April 2020A jogger on the Millennium Bridge in London, as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus
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41/50 2 April 2020A child at Westlands Primary School paints a poster in support of the NHS in Newcastle-under-Lyme
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42/50 1 April 2020Staff wearing PPE of gloves and face masks, as a preactionary measure against Covid-19, disinfect an ambulance after it arrived with a patient at St Thomas’ Hospital in north London
AFP via Getty
43/50 31 March 2020Llandudno Pier remains closed and deserted of tourists during the pandemic lockdown in Wales
Getty
44/50 30 March 2020Waves break against the pier at Tynemouth, on the North East coast
PA
45/50 29 March 2020Waves crash over a car on the seafront during windy conditions in Broadstairs, Kent
PA
46/50 28 March 2020Derbyshire Police dye the “blue lagoon” in Harpur Hill, Buxton black, as gatherings there are “dangerous” and are “in contravention of the current instruction of the UK Government”
PA
47/50 27 March 2020A road sign advising drivers to ‘stay home protect NHS saves lives’ is visible on the M80 near Banknock as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus
PA
48/50 26 March 2020A postman wears a mask and gloves to deliver letters in Broadstairs, Kent, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson has put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 26, 2020. The UK’s coronavirus death toll reached 463 on Wednesday.
PA
49/50 25 March 2020Members of the public out exercising on Brighton beach at sunset
Getty
50/50 24 March 2020Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas’ hospital
Getty
1/50 12 May 2020Nurses from central London hospitals protest on international nurses day about the chronic underfunding of the NHS and other issues surrounding the health service outside the gates of Downing Street, London
PA
2/50 11 May 2020Waves crash at Tynemouth pier on the North East coast
PA
3/50 10 May 2020A woman passes street art and a poster in East London
Reuters
4/50 9 May 2020Police patrol the beach in Brighton
Getty
5/50 8 May 2020The British Royal Air Force Red Arrows conduct a fly past over the statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in London to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day) in Britain
MOD/Reuters
6/50 7 May 2020Team GB sailor Eilidh McIntyre during a training session at her home in Portsmouth
Reuters
7/50 6 May 2020Labour Party leader Keir Starmer listens to Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking during PMQs
UK Parliament/AFP/Getty
8/50 5 May 2020The sun appears to explode over the horizon in this montage of images captured by photographer Nick Lucas near his home in Ringwood, Hampshire. Nick took a number of pictures just a few seconds apart on a tripod mounted camera which were then combined to give the eye catching dawn image
Nick Lucas/SWNS
9/50 4 May 2020Leeds Green Watch firefighters observe a minute’s silence outside the fire station in Kirkstall Rd, in memory their colleagues that lost their lives in the line of duty
PA
10/50 3 May 2020Staff at The Berkeley hotel give food to ambulance workers
Reuters
11/50 2 May 2020One of a small group of anti-lockdown protesters speaks to a police officer as they gather outside New Scotland Yard in Victoria, London
AFP via Getty
12/50 1 May 2020Bonnie the Llama grazes in a field in the Scottish Borders alongside a sign supporting the NHS as the UK continues in lockdown
PA
13/50 30 April 2020Colonel Tom Moore and his daughter Hannah celebrate his 100th birthday, with an RAF flypast provided by a Spitfire and a Hurricane over his home in Marston Moretaine. Colonel Moore, formerly a Captain, received a promotion in honour of his birthday and in recognition of the funds, in excess of £30m, he raised for the NHS by walking laps of his garden
Capture the Light Photography/Getty
14/50 29 April 2020Britain’s Labour leader Keir Starmer speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions, as members of Parliament observe social distancing due to the coronavirus, in the House of Commons, London, Wednesday, April 29, 2020
UK Parliament/AP
15/50 28 April 2020NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast, during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
16/50 27 April 2020The sun rises behind redundant oil platforms moored in the Firth of Forth near Kirkcaldy, Fife. Global oil prices have crashed after the coronavirus pandemic reduced demand, with analysts warning that the oil majors may be looking at one of their biggest quarter-on-quarter profitability hits in history.
PA
17/50 26 April 2020Frankie Lynch celebrates on the Mall where the finish of the London Marathon was due to take place today after running 2.6 miles instead of 26 miles to raise money for The Running Charity
Reuters
18/50 25 April 2020A muslim woman walks past balloons outside the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London
Reuters
19/50 24 April 2020An empty Brighton Pier, closed during the Coronavirus pandemic as temperatures reach 20 degrees in the South East
Rex
20/50 23 April 2020Farmers work with vehicles to prepare a field next to a field of flowering rapeseed near Pontefract, West Yorkshire
AFP/Getty
21/50 22 April 2020The Northern Lights, the Milky Way and a Lyrid meteor at the Bathing House near Howick, Northumberland, as the Lyrid meteor shower reached its peak
PA
22/50 21 April 2020Badger the Border Collie surrounded by bluebells at Shrawley Wood in Worcestershire
PA
23/50 20 April 2020A dog walker on Blyth beach in Northumberland
PA
24/50 19 April 2020A piece of coronavirus themed street art grafitti in East London
AFP via Getty
25/50 18 April 2020Members of the City Specialist Cleaning team spray disinfectant around posts in the town centre of Eastleigh, Hampshire
PA
26/50 17 April 2020A taped-up bench in the hamlet of Diglea, Greater Manchester
AFP/Getty
27/50 16 April 2020A woman wearing a protective face mask and gloves walks past graffiti in Bow, London
Reuters
28/50 15 April 2020A burned down mobile phone mast in London. According to reports, at least 20 mobile phone masts across Britain are believed to have been vandalised and government and telecom sources are increasingly concerned about the impact of conspiracy theories linking coronavirus to 5G networks
EPA
29/50 14 April 2020The new Nightingale Hospital in Washington, Tyne and Wear, being fitted out
PA
30/50 13 April 2020Walkers enjoy the bluebells in Wanstead Park in London
PA
31/50 12 April 2020A woman prays at the closed doors of Westminster Cathedral ahead of the Easter morning mass in London
PA
32/50 11 April 2020A man jogs on an empty beach in Scarborough as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus
PA
33/50 10 April 2020Military personnel testing people at a coronavirus test centre in the car park of Chessington World of Adventures
Reuters
34/50 9 April 2020Posters drawn by children displayed in support of the NHS in a building near St Thomas’ Hospital in London
Getty
35/50 8 April 2020A street cleaner in front of Coronavirus messaging on Picadilly Circus in London
Getty
36/50 7 April 2020A jogger on the Millennium Bridge in London, as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus
PA
37/50 6 April 2020A Royal Signals soldier practices during training held by the British Army. They are preparing them to support the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust in the battle against coronavirus
Ministry of Defence/Reuters
38/50 5 April 2020A police officer advises a woman to go home after spotting her enjoying the sun in Primrose Hill, London
AP
39/50 4 March 2020New Leader of the Labour Party Keir Starmer speaks on the announcement of his victory in the leadership race of the Labour Party
AFP via Getty
40/50 3 April 2020Health Secretary Matt Hancock and NHS staff stand on marks on the ground, put in place to ensure social distancing guidelines are adhered to, at the opening of the NHS Nightingale Hospital at the ExCel centre in London, a temporary hospital with 4000 beds which has been set up for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday April 3, 2020. Split into more than 80 wards containing 42 beds each, the facility will be used to treat Covid-19 patients who have been transferred from other intensive care units across London.
PA
41/50 2 April 2020A child at Westlands Primary School paints a poster in support of the NHS in Newcastle-under-Lyme
Reuters
42/50 1 April 2020Staff wearing PPE of gloves and face masks, as a preactionary measure against Covid-19, disinfect an ambulance after it arrived with a patient at St Thomas’ Hospital in north London
AFP via Getty
43/50 31 March 2020Llandudno Pier remains closed and deserted of tourists during the pandemic lockdown in Wales
Getty
44/50 30 March 2020Waves break against the pier at Tynemouth, on the North East coast
PA
45/50 29 March 2020Waves crash over a car on the seafront during windy conditions in Broadstairs, Kent
PA
46/50 28 March 2020Derbyshire Police dye the “blue lagoon” in Harpur Hill, Buxton black, as gatherings there are “dangerous” and are “in contravention of the current instruction of the UK Government”
PA
47/50 27 March 2020A road sign advising drivers to ‘stay home protect NHS saves lives’ is visible on the M80 near Banknock as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus
PA
48/50 26 March 2020A postman wears a mask and gloves to deliver letters in Broadstairs, Kent, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson has put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 26, 2020. The UK’s coronavirus death toll reached 463 on Wednesday.
PA
49/50 25 March 2020Members of the public out exercising on Brighton beach at sunset
Getty
50/50 24 March 2020Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas’ hospital
Getty
Volunteers would be expected to work alongside others being paid for the same role, it is understood.
The adverts warn applicants of the dangers of the role and tell them to consider the health of family members before signing up.
The position will involve standing for hours at a time and require enough mobility to “be able to reach into a vehicle to take swabs of both throat and nasal passages at potentially awkward angles”.
The adverts promise volunteers will be given full personal protective equipment, in line with NHS standards, as well as training.
Recruits will be expected to be able to work “at least” 32 hours a week, according to the advertisements.
However, applicants are warned: “Please be aware that this is a voluntary unpaid role.”
Volunteers are being sought in locations including London and Coventry.
One advert states that they are seeking to recruit “up to 1,000” volunteers and current Boots staff to fill the roles across the country.
Boots is assisting the government in the recruitment of volunteers, but it is thought that the guidelines have been set by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Sources close to the health secretary, Matt Hancock, said that volunteers had been used to great effect throughout the coronavirus crisis.
They added that the volunteers would receive training on how to carry out the tests. Individuals using home kits are currently self-administering the swabs with no training.
Sara Gorton, head of health at Unison, said: “Many people want to give their spare time to the NHS to help it through the Covid crisis, but this advert takes the notion of volunteering way too far.”
She added that rather than “seeking to take advantage of people’s good nature, the government would be better placed utilising the experience of NHS staff returning from retirement, or the healthcare students in their final years, to help expand the UK’s testing capacity”.
Andy McDonald, a member of the shadow cabinet, said: “This is physically and mentally demanding work which should be paid, with terms, conditions and rights negotiated and agreed with trade unions.”
Sir Ed Davey, acting co-leader of the Lib Dems, said: “The British public are going above and beyond in their efforts to slow the spread of the virus – whether it is working on the frontline, helping the vulnerable, supporting their local charities or simply following the lockdown measures in place.
“This does not mean the government should try to take advantage of these efforts by not paying those who will be testing for the virus.”
He added that those performing the tests should be formally employed, trained, paid and receive the benefits that come with employment.
“At a time when thousands are experiencing financial hardship, to expect individuals to work unpaid, whilst taking considerable risks to their health, is a scandal. The government must rectify this immediately otherwise their testing rollout will become another shambles even before it’s begun.”
Boots declined to comment on Tuesday night and directed enquiries to the DHSC.
A DHSC spokesperson said: “The speed at which we have increased our testing capacity is unprecedented and a real success made possible by fantastic teamwork between the government, key private companies and amazing volunteers.
“Meeting the 100,000 target was a fantastic achievement, but it isn’t the end of the goal, it’s just the beginning.
“We will continue to expand our testing capacity, with thousands more tests becoming available every day. This will be done with more test centres opening, more mobile testing units, and rapidly increasing the numbers of home-testing kits becoming available.”
Source: UK Politics - www.independent.co.uk