Volunteers play a crucial role in enhancing a patients’ experience of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB). Volunteers do this by performing a wide variety of tasks throughout the Trust to complement the work of paid staff.
Volunteers have the time to sit and chat to patients, encourage them to eat or collect a newspaper for them and more. Staff are busy delivering essential care and may not have time to undertake the small things that can make a difference.
Volunteers are currently placed in approximately 250 departments and wards throughout UHB. The number of volunteers continuously grows as more roles and ways of helping patients and staff are identified.
A small sample of volunteer roles and areas worked is listed below:
- Ward helpers
- Outpatients department
- Cardiac rehabilitation classes
- Wayfinding in the Imaging department
- Patient and Carer Council
- Peer support groups
- Chaplaincy
- Patients Library
- Buggy drivers
- Dignity volunteers
Work or student placements
Volunteering at the hospital should not be viewed as a work or education placement. If you are a student looking to develop your skills within a particular area of healthcare this will not be possible as a volunteer.
Last reviewed: 02 February 2023
