The NHS wants to double its volunteer army in recognition of the huge benefits for patient care, the Daily Mail can reveal.
Officials plan to increase the voluntary workforce from the current 78,000 to 156,000 over the next three years.
The news comes as support is growing for the Mail’s hospital volunteer campaign, which was launched at the beginning of December in partnership with Helpforce – a fast-growing health service charity.
By last night a total of 23,655 readers had signed up, pledging a combined total of 1,344,132 hours in help and support.
The Daily Mail is asking readers to find time to help patients and take pressure off staff
Kate Shaw, 31, a volunteer at the Chelsea and Westimnster Hospital. NHS chiefs believe volunteers have a huge impact on patients and hospital staff, and at the same time greatly enhance their own lives
The campaign has been backed by J K Rowling, Claudia Winkleman and Sir Cliff Richard alongside Prime Minister Theresa May and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
NHS chiefs believe volunteers have a huge impact on patients and hospital staff, and at the same time greatly enhance their own lives.
While older volunteers stay active and connected, younger recruits gain invaluable skills and experience for their future careers. The ambition to extend volunteering is set out in NHS England’s Long Term Plan, a blueprint of the health service’s priorities for the next ten years.
Join the hospital helpforce
Whatever your skills or experience, you can make a valued and lasting impact.
You will join the volunteers working in hospitals or with organisations that support the NHS, such as the Royal Voluntary Service, Marie Curie, British Red Cross, and others.
Join us by pledging your time in 2019 at www.hospitalhelpforce.com and clicking on the ‘pledge now’ box.
Thank you – and welcome aboard!
Due imminently, the plan will urge hospitals to recruit many more younger volunteers, particularly those with mental health problems, learning difficulties or from deprived communities.
The document will also reveal there is currently a huge variation in the proportion of volunteers in hospitals across the country.
While some hospitals have one volunteer for every two permanent members of staff, others have just one volunteer per 26 employees.
NHS England will address this stark difference by encouraging hospitals to offer more volunteering opportunities and by investing £2.3million in Helpforce.
The NHS Long Term Plan was meant to be published this week but is now likely to be postponed until the New Year due to the Prime Minister’s ongoing wrangling with MPs over her Brexit plan.
It will outline what patients can expect from the NHS over the next decade, how care will improve, and how the extra £20.5billion a year promised by the Government will be spent.
The section on volunteers, seen by the Mail, highlights how volunteering can benefit both patients and the volunteers themselves.
It states: ‘Staff, patients and volunteers benefit from well-designed volunteering initiatives. Volunteers contribute across a range of roles, from first responders and care companions to trust governors and link workers (who provide emotional and practical support). They enable staff to deliver high-quality care that goes above and beyond core services.
‘Local volunteering allows older people to stay physically active and connected to their communities, and younger people to develop skills and experience for work and education.
‘But not all NHS organisations offer these opportunities for their local community, as the ratio of staff to volunteers in acute trusts ranges from 2:1 to 26:1.’
Vital hospital roles include mentoring patients, providing friendship and even being a blood courier
The section adds: ‘We will back the Helpforce programme with £2.3million of NHS England funding to scale successful volunteering programmes across the country, as part of our work to double the number of NHS volunteers over the next three years.’
The document urges hospitals to ‘give greater access for younger volunteers’, particularly those in deprived areas or those with mental health issues, learning disabilities and autism.
Simon Stevens, NHS England’s chief executive, said: ‘Volunteers have made an immense contribution to the NHS since its foundation and, as part of the NHS long term plan, we want to double the numbers who give their time, skills and experience to help patients and staff.
'That is why NHS England is whole-heartedly backing the Daily Mail and Helpforce’s Christmas campaign to encourage more people to give back to a service that does so much for their country.’
Earlier this month a study by the King’s Fund found that the overwhelming majority of NHS staff believed volunteers had a huge impact on patient care. The think-tank’s survey of 300 frontline health workers showed that 90 per cent thought volunteers added ‘a lot of value to patients’.
Helpforce is planning to use the money it receives from NHS England to prioritise volunteering roles in end-of-life care, providing transport to appointments and in improving mobility for long-stay patients.
Sir Thomas Hughes-Hallett, founder and chairman of Helpforce, said: ‘We are delighted to have this renewed commitment to volunteering from NHS England, which will help ensure that many more patients and staff can benefit from the positive impacts of volunteering.
Tony Markham, 56, who delivers blood for NHS around south England. The ambition to extend volunteering is set out in NHS England’s Long Term Plan, a blueprint of the health service’s priorities for the next ten years
'Volunteering is good for the people being supported, health and social care services, charities, the volunteers themselves and the community as a whole.
‘Volunteers have always been at the heart of the NHS and this important backing will help to unlock their full potential.’
Sir Robert Francis, author of the report into the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal and chairman of Healthwatch, a charity which uses volunteers to seek patients’ views on their care, added: ‘From our own work we know how important volunteers’ efforts can be, but it takes thoughtful organisation to make sure people can see the difference they are making. So it is good to see NHS England are planning to put resources into this very worthwhile project.’
Last night, Helpforce said 23,655 people have pledged a combined total of 1,344,132 hours of help over six months through the Mail’s campaign.
The figures include 13,682 who have pledged three hours a week and 9,973 who have pledged one day a month.
Unions back Mail's volunteer campaign
Unions yesterday threw their backing behind the Mail’s campaign to recruit more volunteers to the NHS.
The Royal College of Nursing and Unison agreed that volunteers have a vital role to play in supporting staff – and patients – in hospital and the wider community.
Unison, alongside other trade unions, is now working with the charity Helpforce to draw up a special agreement on the role of volunteers within the health service. This follows their growing presence in the NHS, currently at around 78,000, which the Christmas appeal hopes to significantly increase.
The ‘memorandum of understanding’ is being created to clarify the relationship between staff and those who offer their time for free.
Unions yesterday threw their backing behind the Mail’s campaign to recruit more volunteers to the NHS (stock image)
Health bosses hope the charter will allay any concerns that volunteers are undermining the work of salaried and trained employees.
The unions, which represent staff across the service, say it will lead to more clearly defined roles for all.
It will also highlight the role volunteers play in improving the hospital experience for patients and their families. Sara Gorton, head of health at Unison, said: ‘Volunteers provide valuable support to the NHS, from fundraising to keeping patients company. It’s important though they’ve given appropriate tasks, not just used as substitutes for paid healthcare staff. That’s why we’re pleased to be developing this charter with Helpforce.
‘The hope is this will build respect between volunteers and NHS workers, and boost their relationship. That means everyone will benefit.’
Dame Donna Kinnair, of the RCN, said: ‘Volunteers make an outstanding contribution to the health service, making a difference to the lives of staff and patients, and were rightly recognised alongside nurses throughout this year’s “NHS at 70” celebrations. The NHS must always be careful to use volunteers appropriately, especially when the frontline struggles with severe staff shortages.
‘While volunteers can never replace qualified staff or carry out any aspect of their professional work, there are many fulfilling ways in which volunteers can contribute.
‘Properly coordinated staff and volunteers teams will help vulnerable patients get extra support when they need it.’
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/12/17/nhs-volunteer-army-to-double-as-23500-sign-up-for-mail-campaign/
Main photo article The NHS wants to double its volunteer army in recognition of the huge benefits for patient care, the Daily Mail can reveal.
Officials plan to increase the voluntary workforce from the current 78,000 to 156,000 over the next three years.
The news comes as support is growing for the Mail’s h...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/11/30/21/6857372-6448083-image-a-23_1543611951834.jpg
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