Acevo has set up a task force of health and social care charities to come up with a plan for the sector to provide more support to overrun NHS accident and emergency departments.

The coalition of up to 15 national charities, including the Red Cross, Royal Voluntary Service and Age UK, met this morning and agreed to form a task force.

Proposals are being drawn up for an expansion of trained volunteers assisting in hospitals, which will be presented to the government by Monday, with a response expected early next week.

The task force’s plan will focus on ways the sector can support frail and older people.

On his blog Sir Stephen Bubb, chief executive of Acevo, said: “It’s scandalous that older people who attend casualty are signed off by medical staff but end up in hospital because of a transport breakdown or worries there is no one back at home.”

Red Cross ambulances have already been called in by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the South West England ambulance service.

Bubb met with Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood and the Department of Health Permanent Secretary Una O'Brien earlier this week to urge them to make greater use of the resource in the voluntary sector.

Last week Navca called for local charities to be more involved in relieving pressures on the NHS. Neil Cleeveley, chief executive of Navca, said: “I’d like to see more creative work with local charities to help ease the problem.”