Volunteers to swell the ranks at CUH

CUH is one of six hospital Trusts to receive funding from the ‘Helping in Hospitals’ programme, to grow existing volunteer schemes that work on improving overall patient satisfaction and outcomes. A partnership between the Cabinet Office and Nesta, the UK’s innovation foundation, has secured this funding.

CUH’s money will go towards recruiting more people to volunteer and will help create an ‘8 to 8’ service, seven days a week.

Giles Wright, head of voluntary Services, said: “With increasing pressures on the NHS and more and more people wanting hospital care, we need to think creatively about how we provide that service, especially for the increasing numbers of frail and elderly patients. We’re absolutely delighted that we’ve won this funding. It means we can swell the volunteer numbers and transform the way they work, to provide much more effective support to clinical staff.”

Recruits are signing up thick and fast. In November 2013 the Trust registered 500, but that number rose to 700 by January 2014, and managers are keen to recruit more.

Giles added: “We have high ambitions. We want to make Cambridge University Hospitals a world-leading centre of innovation and excellence for volunteering. We want to create a situation where volunteers are partners and actively engage them in designing services and delivering patient experience.

The volunteers will work closely with clinical steering groups in order to co-create the service to meet patient and carer needs and Trust objectives.

Giles said: “Volunteering is not simply about making the tea anymore. It’s evolved into a much more complex and integral role. We’ve recently introduced trained, dedicated dementia volunteers for example, who provide support for the most vulnerable patients. They often have complex needs and demand specialist support, not only with eating and drinking, but with social interaction and confidence building.”

Over 700 volunteers give an average of three hours a week at CUH to help improve patient experience. Volunteers work in many different capacities, including as guides, library assistants and visitors to patients who don’t have family nearby. In total volunteers of all different ages and backgrounds give more than 60,000 hours a year to help patients during their stay in hospital.

Many of the volunteers want to give something back because they know someone or have family who have been treated in hospital. Some people simply want to lend their support.

John Gothard said: “As a volunteer visitor I find there are always people who really appreciate having someone to chat or just to sit with them. Being a visitor is something that comes easily to me and I like to feel I’ve made a positive contribution to patient welfare.”

Tony Pullen from Cambridge said: ”Volunteering with my Pets As Therapy dog Lilly has been a revelation and we both look forward to our visits to Addenbrooke’s. Many people are in an anxious or generally distressed state of mind which is frequently rapidly relieved by the appearance of a friendly dog.”

The funding will enable Giles’ team to create a structured programme to drive recruitment of more ward volunteers, aiming for another 700 in 12 months.

Giles added: “The vision is to move away from the traditional image of volunteering in a hospital which was largely transactional and peripheral, to being innovative, professional and experiential. We want to attract those people exploring a career in health or social care.”

Giles Wright is adamant that some things will remain the same: “One thing will never change and that’s the fundamental essence of what it means to be a volunteer: it is always about forming a quality relationship, however long or short, that surprises and delights.”

 
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Adrian Ient| Senior Media Relations Manager

Tel: 01223 274433 | Ext: 4433 | 07703 887759. 

http://www.cuh.org.uk
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