Volunteering
england.nhs.uk/par…ng/
goodsamapp.org/nhs
Why volunteer?
Many NHS organisations and charities need help from volunteers. This is a great way to get involved in the community. There are volunteer centres across the country, and many NHS trusts have volunteer managers you can contact if you want to find out about volunteer opportunities in your area.
Volunteer in health
Volunteers make a huge contribution to the health and wellbeing of the nation, giving their time, skills and expertise freely each year to support the NHS. They are crucial to the NHS’s vision for the future of health and social care, as partners with, not substitutes for, skilled staff.
There are over 300 types of role in the NHS alone, allowing people of all ages and backgrounds to find challenging and rewarding opportunities which reflect their availability, ambitions and passions. Some opportunities, like hospital garden makeovers or fundraising, can be a one off. Others, like running a hospital radio show, assisting with administration in a hospice or contributing to advisory groups, can last for months or even years.
Get involved?
Interested in volunteering in health? Most opportunities in health are coordinated locally so you should visit the web pages of your local health organisations for more information on what opportunities are available.
For more information about volunteering in general and to find local opportunities you can visit or contact your local volunteer centre, or search via do-it.org/. Alternatively, you can visit the NCVO (National Council for Voluntary organisations) web page ‘I want to volunteer’ for everything you need to know to get started or you can also search for volunteering opportunities in your local area on the Volunteering Matters web pages.
At your local hospital (Acute and Community)
There are many volunteering options in hospital settings such as ward and department volunteers, administrative support, fundraising, patient participation groups or Foundation trust governors. Each hospital is likely to have a range of differing volunteering options, coordinated by a Volunteer Service Manager. To make contact go to the hospital web-site and add/volunteer to the web address. Or type volunteer in the site’s search engine. You can find contact details for your local NHS organisations here. Some voluntary roles may also be advertised on NHS Jobs.
In the community and Primary Care (e.g. GP Surgeries)
There are a range opportunities to volunteer locally through local charities and voluntary sector organisations, and community groups. Some GP Practices can offer volunteer opportunities but the majority will direct you to local groups and organisations that they work with. There are also national organisations that provide health and care volunteering opportunities locally such as The British Red Cross and the Royal Voluntary Service.
Youth volunteering
Young people make valuable volunteers who can have a highly positive impact. Volunteering in local communities also provides many benefits for young people and their development. This includes building a sense of community, and developing a range of skills such as team working, interpersonal skills, and problem-solving, all of which are crucial for their success in higher education and the workplace.
The age at which organisations can accommodate younger volunteers (below 18) is set locally and not all organisations can take on volunteers under the age of 18. Step up to Serve provides information on opportunities for young people. Young people can also contact their local health organisations as above.
england.nhs.uk/par…ng/
goodsamapp.org/nhs
Why volunteer?
Many NHS organisations and charities need help from volunteers. This is a great way to get involved in the community. There are volunteer centres across the country, and many NHS trusts have volunteer managers you can contact if you want to find out about volunteer opportunities in your area.
Volunteer in health
Volunteers make a huge contribution to the health and wellbeing of the nation, giving their time, skills and expertise freely each year to support the NHS. They are crucial to the NHS’s vision for the future of health and social care, as partners with, not substitutes for, skilled staff.
There are over 300 types of role in the NHS alone, allowing people of all ages and backgrounds to find challenging and rewarding opportunities which reflect their availability, ambitions and passions. Some opportunities, like hospital garden makeovers or fundraising, can be a one off. Others, like running a hospital radio show, assisting with administration in a hospice or contributing to advisory groups, can last for months or even years.
Get involved?
Interested in volunteering in health? Most opportunities in health are coordinated locally so you should visit the web pages of your local health organisations for more information on what opportunities are available.
For more information about volunteering in general and to find local opportunities you can visit or contact your local volunteer centre, or search via do-it.org/. Alternatively, you can visit the NCVO (National Council for Voluntary organisations) web page ‘I want to volunteer’ for everything you need to know to get started or you can also search for volunteering opportunities in your local area on the Volunteering Matters web pages.
At your local hospital (Acute and Community)
There are many volunteering options in hospital settings such as ward and department volunteers, administrative support, fundraising, patient participation groups or Foundation trust governors. Each hospital is likely to have a range of differing volunteering options, coordinated by a Volunteer Service Manager. To make contact go to the hospital web-site and add/volunteer to the web address. Or type volunteer in the site’s search engine. You can find contact details for your local NHS organisations here. Some voluntary roles may also be advertised on NHS Jobs.
In the community and Primary Care (e.g. GP Surgeries)
There are a range opportunities to volunteer locally through local charities and voluntary sector organisations, and community groups. Some GP Practices can offer volunteer opportunities but the majority will direct you to local groups and organisations that they work with. There are also national organisations that provide health and care volunteering opportunities locally such as The British Red Cross and the Royal Voluntary Service.
Youth volunteering
Young people make valuable volunteers who can have a highly positive impact. Volunteering in local communities also provides many benefits for young people and their development. This includes building a sense of community, and developing a range of skills such as team working, interpersonal skills, and problem-solving, all of which are crucial for their success in higher education and the workplace.
The age at which organisations can accommodate younger volunteers (below 18) is set locally and not all organisations can take on volunteers under the age of 18. Step up to Serve provides information on opportunities for young people. Young people can also contact their local health organisations as above.
211 Comments
sorted byI'm sure I speak for everyone here. We are all extremely grateful for your service and everything you have to endure on a daily basis (especially in this difficult time).
Thank you
If you’re told to “buy some calpol and everything will be ok” you probably shouldn’t be in A&E to start with
It will definitely work in your favour if it comes down to an equal candidate. Ignore the negative nellies.
It’s horrific !
Wonder why you wasn't successful ?
Thanks for the response, it's easy for me to complain about being stuck in the house for the last 2 weeks. Reports like this are humbling and remind me to shut up. I think everyone needs reminders like this as to why we are doing it, to try and ease the building pressure on the NHS.
Thank you, and your colleagues for the work you do. (edited)
I appreciate it thanks means a lot x
For what it's worth people like you are heroes of the modern day. Much respect.
If there is nothing wrong with your child and calpol is the answer what do you want them to do exactly? Perform unessesary tests ? Or do you feel you should jump before other more needing patients in critical condition because you are you ? I don't mean to be rude, just genuenly curious ?
Also, guys one of the best help you can offer NHS right now is to stay at home and not catch the virus! Lets flatten the curve and give our NHS enough time to treat everyone because the biggest nightmare is facing a faster rate of infection than the healthcare system can cope with! (edited)
Bore off.
So how can anyone safely volunteer, are the NHS going to test all of them before starting ?
Volume of suspected cases - short staffed
No breaks / great team work tho - just not enough of us, see the fear in the elderly eyes - I was heartbroken
Put your negatives opinions to one side for 3 months, and instead of moaning and groaning behind a laptop, get out there (if you can and willing) and help those very people that paved the way for us to live in peace and freedom.
Want to help? Volunteer for the police, ask your friends to stay at home. That's it.
Don't go to a hospital. The moment you set foot, you might already been infected with Covid-19. One thing they don't mention is how the virus is persistent and can survive in airborne for a long time. Many staff in our hospital are already suspected carriers yet they still work because we can't afford to lose them.
Hancock is stupid even announcing this idiocy regarding 250,000 volunteers. We would rather have the PPEs meant for them or even half of the volunteers for the existing staff. My hospital (East of England) have already been rationing... more like reusing masks and gloves. As long as they haven't been contaminated with patient fluids, nurses and HCAs are advice to continue using them and simply use double hand sanitizer before reusing them and after. Same applies for masks and staff are recommended to share face shields, wipe the front with clinell then use them again. It is heartbreaking to hear. It's not that we are being evil it just that we don't have enough PPEs to go around. Whenever a new batch drops, it's a race to stockpile (Did you guys think only supermarkets have a problem with hoarding? It's the same for hospitals except it's wards rather than people. (edited)
Wow noone knew this. Please tell us more.
me me me me me me me me this is it whats wrong with this country
I'm sure you will use the service if needed however.
You could be tested on Monday morning, given the all clear then contract the virus on Monday afternoon. So how often should they be tested then?
You are a joke ! I was answering someone’s question - it’s far from moaning you idiot -
Where on in the quotation am I moaning - I simply said it has been the most challenging shifts I’ve done it 8 years and you know why ???
Ppl dying infront of me, elderly patients with total fear in there eyes - sitting with a 94 year old stroking her forehead whilst she’s dying
12 hours in PPE ! Doing extra shifts to help you guys !
I do it because I’m compassionate I touch patients everyday don’t you dare question my quotation and state I was moaning-
Let’s hope you don’t need us any time soon !!!!
Jack ass !!!!
Wishing you and your team all the best to get through this safely.
Almost all of the volunteering is not at a hospital. It is providing support to NHS staff by delivering them food shopping, delivering things to those isolating and moving medicine around. The only thing that looks like it is near to a hospital is transporting those that have finished treatment (not just for the virus) and have the all clear and need a lift home.
Obviously there is going to be some collateral from this and some volunteers will get sick. This is a crisis and there is no decision that can be made at this point which is going to be perfect.a
The reason A&E is under so much pressure is people like this using them as an out of hours doctor for things like this such as colds, scratches and scrapes, plus silly little things that simply arent emergencies.
Nice to see you supporting our front line nhs staff there. If your not going to say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
No, obviously not any time soon, as they don't have tests to do their own staff currently.
You hopefully comprehend that this is the same (no tests so unknown infectious) for frontline staff currently who are going to be far closer to patients than these volunteers.
The biggest issue is that every other patient with every other medical issue hasn't just disappeared. Most of them are still there and can't go home due to distancing procedures.
The NHS has been overstretched for 20 years. Cancelling 'routine' surgeries (so bunions, polyps, etc.) has only freed up a very limited number of beds, and those beds/wards aren't set up for isolated intensive care.
Also, every front line member of staff that coughs for an extended period, or has any kind of fever has to be isolated for 14 days for safe prevention of contamination. So, the remaining staff are working 60/70+ hour weeks and are becoming exhausted, whilst becoming more significantly vulnerable due to the exhaustion and extended exposure to those that are infected. This might go on for several months, or longer.
I'm not the biggest Boris fan, but if anything the enforced isolation came a week late.
Can't believe people are criticising it.
However, the way people are really valuing NHS staff (including those in socal care) for what they do for once is a very positive thing. Likewise, the amount of positive community care - where others are able to look after those around them - is showing a much more positive side to the British public. This does have the capacity to make us become a much more sensible, compassionate society. Not just the UK; the entire world.
With the greatest of respect we are all humans and all have our breaking points. I think it needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.
To even suggest this to a front line health worker working in a pandemic who is clearly (and understandably) stressed right now is bang out of order. (edited)
Thank you
Obviously mistakes were made and I am no fan of the present government. But you are not volunteering to help them you are helping other people in your community who are vulnerable.
Your life must be miserable for you to report and argue with a frontline worker who's helping to save lives. I hope you find happiness in the future
Stay healthy and you’ll not only help the NHS but also yourself and your family and everyone around you!
Thank you all so much. That's all I can say really. Have volunteered through site and emailed directly. Happy to do whatever it takes but know not everyone can and for most, the best way to help is to stay at home.
You're all heart mate. Give yourself a clap on the back
You aren't aware that Corona can be spread by asymptomatic carriers? (Which is 70% of sufferers)? What planet have you been living on? That's what makes it so dengerous. (edited)
Sarcasm planet.
Also dangerous is false stats - source please for your '70% of Corona sufferers are asymptomatic' claim ?
more like 20% ? forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2020/03/18/what-percentage-have-covid-19-coronavirus-but-do-not-know-it/
I have found possible asymptomatic source (unless individual was just making up...):
nymag.com/int…tml (edited)
Don't go into it for the CV experience. Go into it knowing you're going to make a REAL difference.
RAF infantry gunners on £17k a year. Sometimes you do a job for the love of it.