Salute To The Heroes

400,000 offer to help out as military prepare giant hospital for virus peak

- Martin Bagot and Lucy Thornton

Over half a million members of the public have answered a call for an army of volunteers to help ease the pressure on our NHS.

The NHS Volunteer Responders will be mobilised for the next three months in the battle to keep 1.4 million vulnerable people with serious conditions alive.

It came as troops were seen at the ExCel exhibition centre in East London where they are helping set up the 4,000-bed Nightingale field hospital as the pandemic approaches its expected peak.

A worker posted a video showing the scale of it, warning: “This hall is 1km long. If you’re not taking it seriously, you need to start. They’re preparing for a high death toll here.”

The national appeal for volunteers called for 2,500 helpers – but within 24 hours over double that number had already joined up. As of 8pm last night, 504,303 had put their hands up, said NHS England – with three people signing up every second.

They will deliver food and medication to those who cannot leave their homes, drive them to and from hospital and call them by phone to check how they are.

Earlier, with the total at 406,000, the Prime Minister said: “That is already, in one day, as many volunteers as the population of Coventry.”