Thank you to Gina Barr the Volunteer Services Manager at Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust for sharing this document.

VOLUNTEER ROLE DESCRIPTION

LOCATION: Medical Assessment Unit

ROLE: Volunteer

RESPONSIBLE TO: Shift Leader

• Always report to the Ward Manager or Shift Leader on arrival

• Greet women as they arrive at the assessment room

• Make staff aware of women as they arrive

• Talk to/keep company the women attending the unit for assessment

• Ensure that partners/relatives in the waiting room are aware of the hospital facilities

• Support women who attend the assessment room alone

• Make staff aware if the patient is feeling unwell or uncomfortable

• Get food or drinks for women receiving treatment

• Make telephone calls on behalf of the patient

• Run errands for the patients and staff

• Collect and return equipment

• Help to keep assessment room tidy

• Collect prescriptions from Pharmacy

• Escort women who have been admitted to Maternity Base

• Take any emergency tests to the Haematology office

• Encourage and help patients fill in Exit Cards

• When a new volunteer joins the service, you may be asked to show them the role and around the ward and hospital.

• You may be asked to conduct surveys with patients using an electronic hand held device or paper questionnaires

• You may be asked on occasion to take part in fundraising activities such as selling raffle tickets or assisting on the fundraising barrow.

• Comfort Rounds every two hours.

Excluded tasks

There are a number of tasks that volunteers must not carry out under any circumstances. These are: -

• Lifting patients, even when a member of staff is assisting
• Give drinks/food to patients unless authorised by a member of the clinical staff team
• Give clinical information to a patient, relative or visitor
• Escort patients off the wards without authorisation from a member of the clinical staff team
• Take part in the clinical care of a patient e.g. assist a patient who is vomiting
• Touch or move equipment e.g. drip stands, monitors etc. unless authorised to do so by a senior member of staff
• Escort patients to the smoking shelter on site, or take them off site to smoke tobacco
• Clean up or handle items soiled with bodily fluids or excrement
• Chaperone patients
• Volunteers should not be involved in patients personal care e.g. bathing, toileting
• Volunteers must not photocopy patient information or confidential information

Health & Safety Policy

The Trust has a Health & Safety Policy that it actively promotes. Some of the issues that you need to be aware of whilst working at the Hospital are: -

• Lifting of patients should only be carried out by the clinical staff who have been trained in the proper procedures to follow.

• Do not allow visitors onto the wards unless authorised by the ward staff.

• Do not attempt to clean up vomit, blood, urine etc. Inform a member of staff.

• In the unlikely event that a patient becomes aggressive or violent inform a member of staff immediately and let them deal with it.

• Babies must only be taken off the wards if accompanied by a member of staff. Inform a member of staff immediately if this does not happen.

Important note for volunteers

If you are asked to do a task that is not included on the above list and you feel the task is not appropriate for you to do, please speak to the Ward Manager, Matron or the Voluntary Services Manager.

You may also be interested in:

• Role Description: Volunteer in Midwifery Led Unit
• Role Description: Delivery Suite Volunteer
• Maternity Base Volunteers Specific Roles
• Role Description: Maternity Base
• Role Description: Maternity Ward Support and Companion

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