A number of NHS unions and professional bodies including UNISON and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), alongside Community Interest Company Helpforce, have launched a new charter supporting volunteers working in the NHS in England.
The charter outlines the valuable contribution volunteers make to the NHS in England and clarifies the relationship between volunteers and paid staff. It also defines what volunteering looks like in a healthcare context and provides a framework against which concerns about volunteer roles can be taken forward within organisations.
The key principles of the charter are that:
- volunteers should not undermine paid staff, with essential care tasks reserved for health employees
- no volunteers to be included in the workforce numbers for individual trusts and they must be clearly identified as volunteers
- unions will monitor how volunteers are used within organisations, with patient safety and confidentiality the primary concern.
Julia Scott, RCOT Chief Executive said:
"Volunteers make a vital contribution to the NHS in England which is why the NHS long term plan seeks to increase the level of volunteering in the NHS. Currently throughout the year, across the UK around 78,000 people give up their free time to comfort and help patients. It could be something as simple as greeting and directing people at a hospital entrance, through to running a book club and, while they will never be a substitute for paid staff, they have a vital role to play within today's NHS.
"Across the NHS in England many occupational therapists work with volunteers on a daily basis and, with the number of volunteers predicted to rise in the future, this charter provides a set of guidelines which, whilst recognising the important contribution they make, provides clarity on the support they can be asked to provide. It sets a clear framework for the managers of volunteer services and encourages them to work with those representing health employees to develop roles that support the patient experience, without undermining paid staff."