We want to make the best use of your skills and experience while offering you an opportunity that works for you too. Here are some of the roles for volunteers at our hospitals which we can tailor your volunteering to suit you:
Ward assistants
As a volunteer ward assistant, you will assist in administrative and clerical work such as filing, moving medical notes around the hospital and answering the phones. You will also help make beds, water the plants and assist inward maintenance.
This role also involves chatting and listening to patients, helping them with small tasks, like getting a newspaper or magazine, and reading to them. Part of this role also involves helping to make patients' stay in hospital more comfortable by chatting, listening, reading, running errands or escorting them on short walks. Other activities include games, craft and singing.
Volunteers offer the friendship and conversation many patients miss while they're in hospital.
PALS volunteer
Our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) offers support and advice to patients and their carers.
PALS volunteers speak to patients on the wards, providing a sympathetic non-staff ear for their concerns. As well as listening, they can refer patients’ concerns to staff members, if the patient wants them to.
Admin and clerical
Working in areas including medical records, secretarial offices and clinics, as a volunteer, you will assist with tasks such as filing, photocopying, mail and data entry.
Support in these vital but time-consuming areas allows our staff to devote more time to complex and urgent issues.
Meet and greeter
As a meet and greeter, your role would involve welcoming patients, relatives and visitors when they arrive at main entrances and at other main waiting areas.
You would also offer information about the hospital and directions to various departments and facilities. They will also escort and support those people who require a little extra help.
Hospitals can be a daunting and confusing place; a warm smile and an offer to help can make a huge difference.
Outpatient volunteers
You would help to make patients' visits to outpatient departments as smooth and comfortable as possible by chatting, listening and helping them register when they arrive. The role may also involve helping behind the clinic desk occasionally and supporting the clinic reception staff.
Chaplaincy volunteers
This role would involve offering spiritual, religious, pastoral and practical support to patients of all beliefs. This is more of a listening and responding role, rather than a role about religion or belief.
Patient befriender
These volunteers move through the various wards talking to patients and relatives, providing support, company, conversation and friendship – things many patients miss.
Such support might also involve helping patients to eat, reading to them or accompanying a patient for a short walk around the ward or hospital.
League of Friends shop (Royal Brompton Hospital only)
The League of Friends shop is a trolley containing numerous items such as puzzle books, art and craft sets, jigsaw puzzles, magazines and more, which are for sale to patients on wards. Volunteers take the trolley on a round of the wards on a regular basis giving all patients an opportunity to purchase products for their entertainment.
League of Friends – hospital shop (Royal Brompton Hospital only)
The shops based in the main entrance of Fulham Wing (Fulham Road), sells newspapers, magazines, drinks and confectionary. Volunteers help serve patients and visitors in this lively reception area.
Volunteer with the rb&hArts team
We have some new and exciting volunteering opportunities for those who are interested in our Arts programme and are keen to learn and develop their creative skills. Find out more about the type of volunteering opportunities we offer.