Patient Communication Volunteers

The Patient Communication Volunteer will be involved in one or more of the following activities depending on the individual’s preferences.

• Help patients to Video Call their loved ones who are unable to visit.
• Be supplied a list of relatives to call to give an update from the relevant Ward Manager. The volunteer will not stray from the information provided if the relative requires any further information a call back from the appropriate clinician will be arranged.
• Exchange non valuable items such as laundry. Meeting relatives at the entrance and exchanging clothes at the ward entrance
• Meet and great patients attending hospital encouraging ‘Hands, Face Space’.
• Give directions to patients as they arrive at the hospital.
• Adding the details of ‘compliments’ to the trusts central database.
• Help to make refreshments.

Skills:

• Excellent communication skills
• Patience and understanding

The following duties should NOT be undertaken by a volunteer:

• Do not give any medication to a patient.
• Do not take a patient to the toilet.
• Do not attempt to lift a patient, or help into or out of a wheelchair.
• Do not clean up spillage of bodily fluids, eg blood , urine etc
• Do not file X rays.

We expect volunteers to follow these main principles:

• Behave in a professional, caring, friendly and attentive manner at all times.
• Show willingness and enthusiasm to learn
• Maintain confidentiality
• Work as part of a team, respecting staff and courtesy
• Be reliable and trustworthy
• Maintain good personal hygiene and appearance
• Undertake duties only detailed in the relevant job description
• Understand and abide by Trust policies.
• Attend all training required in line with the Statutory and Essential Training (SET) training needs analysis.

If you are interested in applying for this role you must be fit and healthy and not be in the clinically vulnerable groups as stated below:

• are 70 or older
• have a lung condition that’s not severe (such as asthma, COPD, emphysema or bronchitis)
• have heart disease (such as heart failure)
• have diabetes
• have chronic kidney disease
• have liver disease (such as hepatitis)
• have a condition affecting the brain or nerves (such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy)
• have a condition that means they have a high risk of getting infections
• are taking medicine that can affect the immune system (such as low doses of steroids)
• are very obese (a BMI of 40 or above)
• are pregnant

People who are at high risk are people who:

• have had an organ transplant
• are having chemotherapy or antibody treatment for cancer, including immunotherapy
• are having an intense course of radiotherapy (radical radiotherapy) for lung cancer
• are having targeted cancer treatments that can affect the immune system (such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors)
• have had a bone marrow or stem cell transplant in the past six months, or are still taking immunosuppressant medicine
• have been told by a doctor they have a severe lung condition (such as cystic fibrosis, severe asthma or severe COPD)
• have a condition that means they have a high risk of getting infections (such as SCID or sickle cell)
• are taking medicine that makes them much more likely to get infections (such as high doses of steroids or immunosuppressant medicine)
• have a serious heart condition and are pregnant

Apply here:

If you’re interested in becoming a Patient Communication Volunteer, please download and complete the application form here.

Once complete, send your application to dbth.volunteering@nhs.net

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