St John’s Covid-19 volunteer scheme will see trained volunteers placed in frontline hospital wards and in NHS departments across the country to free up medical staff and help relieve the pressure on the NHS.
Crew joining the effort will lend support by carrying out a range of tasks, from caring for the elderly to basic monitoring of patients.
They will also transport medication, keep treatment areas clean and hygienic, and help the NHS run as smoothly as possible during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Volunteers will receive two days training provided by St John Ambulance, designed to complement the cabin crew training they have already undertaken.
St John Ambulance director, Jon Knight, said: “We’re delighted to work in partnership with Tui to create opportunities for first aid trained staff to volunteer for St John Ambulance to support their local communities and reduce pressure on the NHS.
“We really need more businesses to let their trained staff volunteer in this crisis. St John Ambulance needs the support of the public, businesses and clarity from the government to let volunteers volunteer more than ever as we enter our biggest operation in our 143-year history.”
Dawn Wilson, managing director of Tui Airways, added: “Our cabin crew are uniquely placed to support this scheme.
"Of course, their first aid training will be an advantage, but the most important skills are the ability to keep calm under pressure, have real empathy for people who need support, and be ready to put a patient’s welfare first.
“This could be a job advert for Tui cabin crew, who have all these abilities in abundance.”
Tui’s operations are now paused until global travel restrictions are lifted, placing more than 2,400 cabin crew on hand to lend their skills to the NHS.
