Sir Jim said volunteers said volunteers can make a key contribution to delivering the 10-Year Health Plan.

‘As we focus on delivering the ambitions of the 10-Year Health Plan, well-designed volunteering initiatives can make a powerful contribution to what we've got to achieve and certainly shouldn't be an after-thought,' Sir Jim said.

According to NHS England, 70,000 volunteers support services across England at any one time, contributing 6m hours annually.

A growing body of evidence from healthcare volunteering charity Helpforce suggests that when volunteering is strategically designed and embedded, it can improve the flow of patients through hospital wards and clinics, support safer discharge, reduce loneliness and release clinical time by reallocating appropriate non-clinical tasks.

According to the charity's data, 87% of frontline NHS staff agree that volunteer involvement improves the quality of care provided. Meanwhile, 79% of healthcare professionals say that support from volunteers enhances their working lives.

Amerjit Chohan, chief executive of Helpforce, said this was ‘a pivotal moment for NHS volunteering', adding: ‘It used to be the case that NHS volunteers were largely confined to hospital reception and café duties. While such remits remain hugely valuable, there are now a staggering 300 different volunteering roles available – including pharmacy runners, mealtime companions and volunteer discharge drivers.

‘Sir Jim is right to say that volunteering cannot sit on the margins. It needs board-level ownership within NHS trusts, robust governance and a clear link to system objectives. When that happens, the results are transformative.'