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A team of over 300 volunteers have gifted 20,100 hours of their time to support staff and patients at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) in 2023 so far.

Volunteers make up a vital part of the workforce at UHP, providing guidance, help and a friendly face to those being treated at, working within, or visiting UHP. Currently, the Trust has over 320 volunteers from all walks of life who bring experience and enthusiasm to every shift they take.

Whether it is giving back to say thank you or learning new skills through volunteering to boost career prospects, the team support the Trust by helping in wards and various departments at Derriford Hospital and in new roles at Mount Gould and the Cumberland Centre. Volunteers can have a huge impact on the patient experience as they are able to give an extra level of support through actions such as offering directions, pouring patients a cup of tea or a stopping for a chat, with an estimated 5000 of these interactions taking place each month.

In addition to supporting patients and visitors during their time at UHP, the volunteers also provide vital services to the staff. In April 2023, the Active Response Volunteer team delivered nearly 3000 medications from Pharmacy to other areas of the Trust. This helps to free up Trust staff for other tasks, while ensuring patients get the medicines they need in a timely manner.

The volunteer programme at UHP can also support those who choose to volunteer on a personal level as well. Through the Volunteer to Career programme, some volunteers have progressed into careers in the NHS, while others have upskilled themselves and improved their CVs. In addition, many volunteers feel pride in what they do and are grateful for a chance to say thank you and give back to the Trust after themselves or a loved one received care.  

Becky Smith, Voluntary Services Manager, said: “We are inspired every day by our volunteers and their willingness to help. They tell us stories of interactions with patients, their personal achievements and everything they have done to be there for staff and patients. Our team gives over 2000 hours every month to UHP, whether that’s in the Emergency Department, Outpatients, on wards or on Hospital Radio – it really is so varied and has a significant impact.”

Since the implementation of a volunteers’ programme at UHP, the “orange army”, as they are affectionately known, has given over 1000 years of their time to the Trust. Showing their appreciation of that service, UHP joined thousands of charities and organisations in recognising Volunteers’ Week in June. To mark the occasion, the Trust hosted a celebration evening, supported by Plymouth Hospitals Charity, and awarded long service badges and thank you certificates, ensuring the volunteers know how much they are valued within UHP’s #1BigTeam.

Danielle Faulkner, Volunteer Coordinator, added: “We recently carried out some work to ask patients, visitors, and staff about the impact of volunteers and the response was of gratitude and recognition of the support volunteers give. We love hearing these stories and feedback and make sure that we pass praise on to the team as well as UHP management to ensure that volunteers are thanked and recognised.”

The volunteers are UHP aged from 16 to their 80s with some gifting their time every week, and others less frequently, however, all are a welcomed part of the team. There are always new opportunities opening up and additional areas requesting volunteer support. Volunteers and members of staff from UHP meet regularly via a Volunteer Committee to discuss the volunteer experience and volunteering opportunities at the Trust. This ensures that volunteer voices are heard and listened to, improving the volunteer experience but also feeding back vital patient information and observations.  

If you’re interested in volunteering at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust visit the website here: https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/volunteering